Top seeded Andy Murray stunned at Australian Open

Mischa Zverev of Germany, the world’s 50th-ranked player, pulled off the second monumental upset at the Australian Open in three days, stunning No. 1 Andy Murray of Scotland on Sunday in Melbourne, Australia.

Zverev prevailed 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 in 3 hours 34 minutes, using an aggressive style of play and breaking Murray’s serve eight times in 21 tries in the fourth-round match.

“I just served and volleyed my way through it,” the 29-year-old Zverev said after hitting 52 winners and improving to 82-125 lifetime in singles.

Zverev came to the net 118 times and won 55 percent of those points.

“It means the world to me,” Zverev said. “It’s just amazing. I don’t know yet how I feel because everything is new to me, and everything feels a little bit unreal.”

Murray — the only man to reach the quarterfinals of all four majors last season — didn’t lose a set in his first three matches prior to running into Zverev.

“Just wasn’t meant to be,” Murray said. “(Zverev) served very well when he needed to, especially when he was behind in games. Yeah, he deserved to win because he played great when he was down and also in the important moments.”

Novak Djokovic of Serbia, the world’s No. 2 player, was stunned by wild-card Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 7-6 (8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Thursday’s second round.

Murray lost to Djokovic in the last two Australian Open finals. The two players failed to reach the quarterfinals of the same major for the first time since the 2007 Australian Open.

On Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena, Roger Federer reached the quarterfinals for the 13th time in 14 years.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion, seeded 17th, stopped Kei Nishikori of Japan, rallying past the fifth seed 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and 23 minutes.

The 35-year-old Swiss secured a milestone 200th win over a top 10 opponent, becoming the first active player to achieve the feat.

“He played his heart out and I thought he played a great match, I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Federer, a four-time Australian champion. “He was hanging tough and playing really well on the big points. I was telling myself to stay calm and this is what I trained for in the offseason. This is a big moment for me in my career.”

Federer lost the first four games to Nishikori before finishing with 83 winners, including 24 aces, while converting seven of 18 break chances.

“It was about staying calm,” Federer said of the 0-4 deficit. “It was not going to get any worse from there. It was tough, hard not to win that first set after all that effort, but it worked out in the end.”

Federer will now meet Zverev, who is 0-2 against him, in the quarterfinals.

Alexander Zverev Jr., Mischa’s younger brother by 10 years and the 24th seed, lost to No. 9 Rafael Nadal of Spain in five sets Saturday in the third round.

In another fourth-round match, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, the No. 4 seed, advanced to the quarterfinals shortly after Murray was ousted with a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) victory over Andreas Seppi of Italy.

Wawrinka meets Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals. The 12th-seeded Frenchman defeated Daniel Evans of Great Britain 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday.

The highest-seed player left on the men’s side is No. 3 Milos Raonic, who plays No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the fourth round Monday.

Federer, Nadal and Wawrinka are the only three men left in the draw who have won a Grand Slam.

“Obviously, it’s a tough one to lose,” Murray said. “Obviously, I wanted to go far in this event. It’s the earliest I’ve lost here for, I don’t know, a long time, so I’m disappointed right now. Credit to him. He came up with great, great shots and played a really, really good match.