Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays a shot during his fourth round singles match against France’s Adrian Mannarino at the 2024 Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne on January 21, 2024.
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Novak Djokovic was at his dominant best in a straight-sets demolition job to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals on January 21, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff in equally ruthless touch.
The Serbian superstar recaptured his top form to surge into the last 16 after dropping sets in his opening two matches while ill, and he stepped up another level against Adrian Mannarino.
The French 20th seed, who at 35 is just a year younger than Djokovic, has been enjoying a late career resurgence.
But he was taught a lesson by the world number one, who won the first 13 games in powering through to the last eight of a Grand Slam for the 58th time, equalling Roger Federer’s men’s record.
“I played great, from the first to the last point,” said the defending champion, who is red-hot favourite to collect an 11th Melbourne title and a record 25th Grand Slam crown.
“It’s going in a positive direction, health-wise, tennis-wise so I’m really pleased with where I am at the moment.”
He will face 12th-seed Taylor Fritz next after the American beat last year’s runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
“The times I have played him I haven’t brought my best level and you need to if you are going to complete with someone like Djokovic,” said Fritz of the Serb.
Djokovic almost always plays the night session on Rod Laver Arena, but was bumped to the afternoon this time.
That’s because home hope Alex de Minaur, seeded 10, is bidding to make the last eight for the first time, with Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev standing in his way.
The winner will face in-form fourth seed Jannik Sinner, who blasted past last year’s semi-finalist Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 and is yet to drop a set.
‘An honour’
Defending women’s champion Sabalenka has also been in imperious form and was in complete charge against unseeded Amanda Anisimova on Margaret Court Arena, sweeping past the American 6-3, 6-2.
Fourth seed Coco Gauff, attempting to become the first woman to back up a US Open title with a Grand Slam win in Australia since Naomi Osaka in 2020-2021, has been almost as impressive.
She swatted aside Poland’s unseeded Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2 in just 63 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, with the 85-year-tennis legend watching from…
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