Djokovic reaches Australian Open quarterfinals, matching Federer Grand Slam record

Tennis

Published: 21 Jan. 2024, 18:17

Djokovic reaches Australian Open quarterfinals, matching Federer Grand Slam record

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand return to Adrian Mannarino of France during their fourth-round match at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 21. [AP/YONHAP]

Novak Djokovic was ruthless in a 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 win over Adrian Mannarino on Sunday, reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals and matching Roger Federer's all-time Grand Slam record.

In a rare daytime appearance on Rod Laver Arena, the 10-time Australian Open champion hit 31 winners and raced to victory in 1 hour and 44 minutes to progress to the last eight for the 58th time at a major, equaling Federer's record.

Djokovic is into the Australian Open quarterfinals for the 14th time, which is equal second on the all-time list with Rafael Nadal and John Newcombe. The difference is that he's converted most of those quarterfinal runs into titles at Melbourne Park.

He'll next face No. 12 Taylor Fritz, who reached the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time with a 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up here last year.

No. 4 Jannik Sinner advanced in straight sets, and so did women's defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka will next play 2021 French Open champion Barbora 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 quarterfinalist since Martina Hingis in 1997.

Djokovic, who labored in his first two rounds, believes he's starting to hit his stride.

“The first two sets were some of the best sets I’ve played in a while,” said Djokovic, who is bidding for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title. “I played great from the first to the last point.”

He added, in jest: “I really wanted to lose that game in the third set because the tension was building in the stadium.

The 35-year-old Mannarino avoided a so-called triple-bagel – only five Grand Slam matches in the Open era have been won 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 – but he was only postponing the inevitable.

Djokovic has admitted to feeling unwell in recent rounds but said his health is improving.

“Last couple of days has been really good,” he said. “It’s going in a positive direction, health-wise, tennis-wise.”

Fritz is 0-8 against Djokovic but said “I think that I have a lot more level to bring than I’ve previously brought against him. Hopefully I can play another match like today.”

The win over Tsitsipas was his first against a Top 10 player in a major.

“I think I served well, the whole match, it kept me in it,” he said. “And then at the very end when I really needed it, I feel like I just, I turned it up a level and started playing my absolute best tennis to finish it.”

Sinner, who had two wins over Djokovic last November, advanced 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 over No. 15 Karen Khachanov.

Two big points from Khachanov — a between-the-legs winner as he chased a ball toward the baseline in the third set and a forehand to finish off a 33-shot rally in the second — delighted the crowd but didn't unnerve Sinner, who hit 46 winners and saved nine of the 10 break points he faced.

He'll play either Australian hope Alex de Minaur or No. 5 Andrey Rublev in the next round.

Sabalenka and Gauff cruised into the women’s quarterfinals with commanding wins.

No. 2-ranked Sabalenka, who won her first Slam title here last year, beat Amanada Anisimova 6-3, 6-2. Gauff, who picked up her first major at the U.S. Open in September, beat Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2.

Anisimova had won four of their previous five meetings but she didn't have the answers this time to counter the power of the Belarusian, who hit 18 winners.

“I’m super-happy with the level, happy to get this win, she’s a tough opponent,” Sabalenka said. “I love the atmosphere here, I love playing in front of you guys. I really want to stay as long as possible and hopefully we can get this thing one more time.”

A brief rain delay at 4-1 in the first set stopped Sabalenka’s momentum but she quickly recovered and pulled away in the second set.

Gauff was the first woman through, needing just 63 minutes to see off Frech in a match played on Rod Laver Arena — in front of the Australian great.

“Luckily when I saw him come in I was already well up,” Gauff said. “I heard clapping and knew it wasn’t for us, it was only the first set. But thank you for coming, it’s an honor.”

Gauff will play Marta Kostyuk after the Ukrainian beat Maria Tomafeeva 6-2, 6-1 to reach the major quarterfinals for the first time.

AP