Auger-Aliassime joins fellow Canadian Shapovalov in Aussie Open quarter-finals with victory over Cilic

Some 24 hours after Denis Shapovalov reached his first Australian Open men's singles quarter-final, his friend and countryman Felix Auger-Aliassime joined him in the final eight.

Auger-Aliassime overcame a fast and furious start by 2018 finalist Marin Cilic and held on tight until he could turn things around, in a 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory on a steamy day in Melbourne that challenged even the fittest tennis players in the world.

Fellow Canadian Milos Raonic has reached the quarter-finals or better at the Australian Open five times.

But this is the first time two Canadians have done it in the same year. And it's the second time in the last three Grand Slam tournaments that they have done it.

It's also the third consecutive Grand Slam tournament in which Auger-Aliassime has reached at least the quarter-final stage.

Now it gets even tougher, as they take on the two biggest favourites to take the title among the eight who will remain after Monday's play.

WATCH | Auger-Aliassime beats Cilic in four sets:

On Wednesday, Auger-Aliassime will play No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev, who survived the throwback serve-volley game of American Maxime Cressy — as well as the heat and some physical woes — to advance on Monday 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-5.

The second-ranked Medvedev is trying to become the first man in the Open era to win his second major singles title in the next Grand Slam event. He's now potentially three wins from achieving that.

Medvedev was a runner-up in Australia last year but avenged that with a win over Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open final. Djokovic isn't defending his Australian Open title after being deported on the eve of the year's first major for failing to meet the country's strict COVID-19 vaccination criteria.

Cressy's serve-and-volley style created some frustrations for Medvedev, who said late in the fourth set that this was the "most unlucky day I've ever had in my life." His luck changed quickly. After saving eight break-point chances in the set, Cressy was broken in that game and Medvedev served out at love.

"Hell of a match," Medvedev said.

But before that, Shapovalov will square off against 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal on Tuesday.

"I'm thrilled for him, and thrilled for Canadian tennis. I think we're both showing that we're not here by chance. We're proving week after week that we're here to stay," Auger-Aliassime said.