Australian Open 2022 | Day Nine Preview and Order of Play

Jonathan Davies in Australian Open 24 Jan 2022

Barty is yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park this year (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Ash Barty resumes her quest for a maiden Australian Open title when she takes on Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.

The world number one headlines the action as the last eight of the first Grand Slam of the 2022 season takes centre stage at Melbourne Park on Monday.

Recent years suggest this is business as usual for Barty. Indeed, the Australian is appearing in a fourth consecutive quarter-final at her home Slam.

The 25-year-old has achieved the feat in style; reeling off eight sets without reply while dropping just 15 games along the way.

Standing in her way is 21st seed Pegula, who beat Maria Sakkari to reach a second successive quarter-final in Victoria.

Elsewhere in the Ladies’ draw, Barbora Krejcikova and Madison Keys vie for a semi-final spot.

This is a third quarter-final in four Slams for Roland Garros champion Krejcikova, who has only dropped a single set so far.

Meanwhile, Keys has beaten eighth seed Paula Badosa and 11th seed Sofia Kenin to reach the last eight for a Slam for the first time since the 2019 French Open.

By contrast, Rafael Nadal is set to appear in the Australian Open quarter-finals for the 14th time in his illustrious career.

The Spaniard, who has dropped just one set so far, is now just three wins away from that record-breaking 21st Slam.

The latest obstacle he must overcome is first-time Melbourne Park quarter-finalist Denis Shapovalov, who is fresh from his impressive straight-sets victory over third seed Alexander Zverev in round four.

Yet to drop a set in four matches, the in-form Gael Monfils is appearing in the last eight here for the first time since 2016.

The Frenchman, whose most recent Slam quarter-final was at the 2019 US Open, takes on Matteo Berrettini.

Doing so consecutively, the seventh seed is the first Italian male to reach the last eight in all four majors, while this is his first such appearance at the Australian Open.

Play gets underway on the Rod Laver Arena at around 1.30am GMT on Tuesday with men’s singles matches contested over the best of five sets, while three sets will determine the outcome of the ladies’ singles clashes.

WATCH AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY NINE STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)