By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday January 21, 2024
Djokovic dropped just three games as he cruised into his 58th major quarterfinal in Melbourne.
Photo Source: Getty
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday January 21, 2024
After dropping a set in his first two rounds at this year’s Australian Open, Novak Djokovic has hit his stride.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion made a statement of intent on Sunday in Melbourne as he ran roughshod over France’s Adrian Mannarino, 6-0, 6-0, 6-2, recording his record 32nd consecutive win at the Australian Open and tying Roger Federer on the all-time list for most Grand Slam quarterfinals reached with 58.
35-year-old Mannarino, playing his first round of 16 match at the Australian Open, had come through week one dramatically, securing each of his victories in five sets to become the first player to reach the second round via three consecutive five-setters since 2006.
He picked the wrong man to face when he got there.
10-time Australian Open champion Djokovic always gets better as Grand Slam tournaments progress, and this year appears to be no exception. Djokovic's last two performances, wins over Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Mannarino, have been played to perfection – a sign that the Grand Slam guru has clicked through the gears and is now ready to kick into overdrive, with just three victories left to secure his 25th major title.
After Sunday's triumph, Djokovic reported that his physical status is improving with each passing round. Another good sign for the 36-year-old as he looks ahead to a quarterfinal with either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz.
“Last couple of days have been really good, it’s going in a positive direction, healthwise, tenniswise, so I’m really pleased with where I am at the moment," the World No.1 said.
Was Sunday’s lopsided win Djokovic’s best performance of the tournament?
“I have to say yes,” he told the crowd after the one hour and 44-minute romp. “First two sets were the best sets I’ve played in a while.”
Though it was a laugher of a contest, true to form, Djokovic had praise for his opponent, despite the lopsided scoreline.
“Obviously it’s never easy to play Adrian, who is a very unorthodox player, uses the angles really well and has one of the flattest and most consistent backhands in the game,” he said.
Djokovic cracked 17 aces, won 39 of 48 first-serve points, converted seven of 11 break points and saved all three break points he faced to push his lifetime record at the Australian Open to 93-8.
He has not lost at the Australian Open since 2018, winning the event the last four times he contested it.
“I served very well, in the moments when I needed to come up with a first serve I did,” he said, adding:
“You always want to be efficient, you always want to finish the job as soon as possible in straight sets,” Djokovic said. “But it’s not always possible, because as the tournament progresses you are playing tougher opponents that possess a really high quality of tennis.”