Djokovic reaches Aussie Open quarters
Achieving another record at the Australian Open put Novak Djokovic in a reflective mood as he revealed how things might change after clinching the historic 24th major title.
Djokovic played his best two sets “in a while” in a 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 demolition of Adrian Mannarino yesterday to reach the quarter-finals at a major for the 58th time, equalling Roger Federer’s Grand Slam record.
It’s his 14th run to the last eight at Melbourne Park, where his conversion rate is incredible. Of the previous 13, he’s gone on to win 10 Australian titles.
“I thought maybe I would feel slightly more relaxed, for lack of a better term, or maybe less tension, less stress on practice sessions, matches, but it’s not,” he said. “It is as it always was: very high-intensity.”
The 36-year-old Djokovic is meticulous in planning and preparation and has had unprecedented success at the Grand Slam events in the Open era.
He said he can’t relax and enjoy it, even with two more major titles than any man in history,
“You can see it even today. I was 6-love, 2-love up. It was a long game, and I was going on with heated discussions with my box,” he said. “The fire is still burning.
“I’m not playing any more because I need more money, more points, or whatever. I want to play. I enjoy the competition.”
In the quarter-finals, he’ll be facing No. 12-ranked Taylor Fritz, who reached the last eight in Australia for the first time with a 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 win over 2023 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.
No. 4 Jannik Sinner hasn’t dropped a set en route to the quarter-finals, with the Italian beating No. 15 Karen Khachanov, nor have women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and US Open winner Coco Gauff.
Sinner will play a quarter-final against Andrey Rublev after the No. 5 seed rallied to beat No. 10 Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0. Sabalenka will 2021 French Barbora next play
Open champion
Krejcikova, who dropped the first set but rallied for a
4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win that ended 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva’s bid to become the youngest Australian
Open quarter-finalist since Martina
Hingis in 1997.
No. 2-ranked Sabalenka, who won her first Slam title last year, beat Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-2.
Gauff, who picked up her first major at the US Open in September, defeated Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2.