PREVIEW-'Demon' and 'Djoker' headline day eight at Melbourne Park

MELBOURNE : Novak Djokovic may be the overwhelming favourite to win his 11th Australian Open title this year, but for the thousands of locals heading to Melbourne Park on Sunday, Alex de Minaur's clash with Russia's Andrey Rublev is the hottest ticket in town.

"Demon" as he is affectionately known, is the last Australian standing in the singles, and victory over the fifth seed would see him become the first Australian man to reach the last eight in Melbourne since Nick Kyrgios nine years ago.

All three of De Minaur's wins over Rublev in their five previous meetings have come on hard courts, and the 10th seed heads into Sunday's match having not dropped a set in Melbourne so far.

Somewhat surprisingly, De Minaur has also spent less time on court than any other men's player, with all three of his matches finishing on or around the two-hour mark, a sharp departure from his previous performances at the majors.

Slightly built and lacking obvious weapons like a killer serve or raw power, the 24-year-old's matches are usually battles of attrition, with the Aussie forced to rely on running power, fitness and heart to wear down his opponents.

Yet after his first-round opponent Milos Raonic retired hurt, De Minaur advanced to the last 16 with straight sets victories over his next two opponents.

"I probably must be feeling the freshest I've been getting at this stage of the tournament," he said after beating Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli in his last match.

"Physically I'm feeling great. Now it's just about giving all my energy for what's to come."

De Minaur will step out onto the Rod Laver Arena for the first match of the evening session, the primetime slot at a Slam, with Djokovic facing off against France's Adrian Mannarino in the