The Serbian superstar recaptured his top form to surge into
the last 16 after dropping sets in his opening two matches while feeling ill,
and he stepped up another level against Adrian Mannarino.
The French 20th seed, who at 35 is 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.”
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.
In other fourth-round action, in-form fourth seed Jannik
Sinner faces last year’s semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.
The man who beat him in that semi-final, Stefanos Tsitsipas,
who is the seventh seed, takes on 12th-seeded American Taylor Fritz for the
right to meet Djokovic next.
‘An honour’
Defending women’s champion Sabalenka has 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 2018-19, 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 the stands.
“It was an honour to play in front of you, so thank you for
coming to my match,” said 19-year-old Gauff, who had never progressed beyond
the fourth round at Melbourne Park in four previous attempts.
“First Aussie quarter-final. Super happy to be in this
position and be here…. It’s cool to get over that hump.”
She will next meet Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who beat Russian
qualifier Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-1.
With seven of the women’s top 10 seeds knocked out in the
first week, including world number one Iga Swiatek, both Gauff and Sabalenka
have a glorious chance to win their second major major title.
They are on the same side of the draw and will not meet in
the final, with a potential last-four clash looming instead.
Sabalenka has dropped just 11 games in four matches and is
favoured to win another title to go with her breakthrough Grand Slam crown last
year.
Should she go all the way, the 25-year-old will be the first
woman to retain the title since compatriot Victoria Azarenka completed the feat
in 2013.
“I’m getting stronger because I enjoy the atmosphere and I
really want to stay here as long as I can till the very last day,” she said.
Her next opponent will be unseeded Russian 16-year-old Mirra
Andreeva or ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova.
If Andreeva keeps her dream run going, she will become the
youngest woman to reach the Melbourne Park quarter-finals since Martina Hingis
in 1997, a player she has often been compared to.
AFP