( CNN ) At the 1994 U.S. Open , John McEnroe said he would commentate on his head if Jan Siemerink won a fourth-set tiebreak after falling behind 6-0 to fellow Dutchman Richard Krajicek . Guess what ? It happened . Siemerink claimed the next eight points and McEnroe did as he promised in a later match at the season 's final major . No commentators were believed to have said something similar when Stan Wawrinka trailed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 5-0 and 6-2 in a fourth-set tiebreak Monday at the Australian Open -- and lucky for them . Just like Siemerink , Wawrinka did the almost unthinkable and pulled off a great escape . The defending champion at the year 's opening grand slam saved five set points in the tiebreak to close out the encounter against the Spaniard 7-6 ( 2 ) 6-4 4-6 7-6 ( 8 ) and advance to the quarterfinals . `` Losing 5-0 was a bad start to the tiebreak , '' Wawrinka , upset by Garcia-Lopez at the 2014 French Open , told reporters . `` At 6-2 I knew it was close to come back because I had the wind with me . `` I had to focus on every point . I knew if I was going to come back ( to ) 6-5 , ( he ) was going to get nervous . Just focused point after point . '' Wawrinka is flying the Swiss flag after Roger Federer 's surprising loss to Andreas Seppi in the third round and the world No . 4 will have to maintain , or increase , his level if he is to continue his winning streak at Melbourne Park . Wawrinka 's quarterfinal opponent , Kei Nishikori , beat the 29-year-old in the last eight in September en route to making the final at the U.S. Open . `` I 'm happy the way I 'm playing so far , '' Wawrinka said . `` I 'm ready for the tournament . My game is there . I did n't spend too much energy on the court since one week . `` I 'm happy to get the chance to play one more quarterfinal . '' Nishikori did something rare later Monday on Australia Day when he downed David Ferrer 6-3 6-3 6-3 . Only Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic had beaten the Spaniard -- one of the game 's top competitors -- in straight sets at a hard-court or clay-court major since the beginning of 2011 . It was also the first time Nishikori defeated Ferrer in straight sets , his previous six victories all going the distance . World No . 1 Djokovic , going for a fifth Australian Open title , will take on Canada 's Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals . Djokovic overcame Gilles Muller in straight sets . Raonic , meanwhile , eliminated Feliciano Lopez in five sets . Lopez saved match points in two encounters earlier in the fortnight and saved another versus Raonic in the fourth set . But Raonic took the fifth 6-3 to prevent a rare hat-trick . Another early wobble for Serena . For the third straight match , women 's top-seed Serena Williams survived an early wobble to progress . She saved three set points in the first set against Vera Zvonareva , lost the first set against Elina Svitolina and then lost the first set to Garbine Muguruza -- her conqueror at the French Open -- on Monday . But Williams upped her game despite dealing with a cough and got a bit of luck in the third set to oust the big , flat-hitting 24th-seed 2-6 6-3 6-2 in the fourth round . `` I 've been playing for a long time , '' Williams , bidding for a 19th major but first in Australia in five years , told reporters . `` When I have to go up a level , I have to . `` I ca n't afford to stay at the same level or I will be where I was at the French Open . I definitely did n't want to be there without at least trying to give 1000 % . '' Still the match might have turned out differently had Muguruza not missed a routine volley on break point when leading 1-0 in the third . `` I knew that if I won this game , I would have more chances to win the third set , because ( to ) break her serve , it 's difficult , '' said Muguruza . `` I wanted to use that opportunity , but I could n't . '' Williams returned to the Rod Laver Arena later on Monday , rooting on older sister Venus . And she left in good spirits , since Venus Williams upset sixth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3 2-6 6-1 to make a first grand slam quarterfinal in five years . Venus Williams , too , had n't beaten a top-10 player at a major since the 2010 U.S. Open . `` She really had answers for everything today , '' said Radwanska . When Victoria Azarenka upset Caroline Wozniacki in the second round , most would have expected Serena Williams to face the two-time Australian Open winner in the quarterfinals . But Dominika Cibulkova did n't read the script . The 2013 finalist defeated Azarenka 6-2 3-6 6-3 . Madison Keys -- who sent Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova packing -- reached her first grand slam quarterfinal by beating compatriot Madison Brengle 6-2 6-4 .
Serena Williams drops his fourth set at the 2014 French Open . But the Swiss rallies in a fourth -set tiebreak to advance . Serena Williams also rallies , against Garbine Muguruza . Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic progress to the quarterfinals , too .