NOS Sport•
It didn’t go by itself, but Novak Djokovic still has a chance to win his tenth overall victory in the Australian Open. The former number one in the world was 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-4 too strong for Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
Djokovic did not move optimally in the first set due to a hamstring injury. The Serb faltered and conceded two set points, but still took the set in a long tie-break.
After the set win, Djokovic requested a medical time-out. That helped, because in the future Djokovic seemed to be on his way to a relatively easy victory. But with a 4-1 lead in the third set, he suffered from his injury again after a long rally.
AFP
Then Djokovic gave away a break with a double fault and Dimitrov came back into the set. But after just over an hour, Djokovic managed to decide the third set and thus the match in his favour.
‘Totally out of order’
Djokovic’s hamstring injury is not new. The current number five in the world was already suffering in the run-up to the first grand slam of the year and also complained about the physical discomfort the day before yesterday after his victory over Enzo Couacaud.
“My hamstring is totally out of order,” Djokovic said. “I’ll be honest: I’m taking it day by day.”
In the round of 16, Djokovic will meet 22nd seeded Australian Alex De Minaur. The Russian Andrej Roeblev, the Dane Holger Rune and the Americans Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Jeffrey John Wolf also qualified for the eighth finals today.
Former world number one Andy Murray failed to survive the third round. The Briton, who won his previous matches in Melbourne in five sets, lost 6-1, 6-7 (7), 6-3 and 6-4 against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
The 35-year-old Scot has struggled with injuries in recent years, but showed a glimpse of the old Murray again in Melbourne.
Koolhof door in doubles
In the doubles, Wesley Koolhof and his British partner Neal Skupski are through to the third round. The first-seeded pair in Melbourne defeated Greek brothers Stefanos and Petros Tsitsipas in three sets 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (7) at the packed Kia Arena.
Koolhof wants grand slam title: ‘We put that pressure on ourselves’
In the decisive set a tiebreak was played to ten points and Koolhof and Skupski took the win. The game lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Stefanos Tsitsipas had knocked out Tallon Greek track in the third round of the singles the day before. The 24-year-old Greek is number 4 in the world.
The 33-year-old Koolhof and the equally old Skupski conquered seven doubles titles on the ATP Tour last year. They thus reached first place in the world ranking. Last year they reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. At the US Open, they reached the final, but lost.
Schuurs and Rojer also continue
Demi Schuurs and Jean-Julien Rojer also reached the third round of the doubles in Melbourne. Schuurs and her American partner Desirae Krawczyk defeated the Australian duo Olivia Gadecki/Priscilla Hon in three sets: 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Rojer and Marcelo Arévalo from El Salvador were too strong for the Japanese pairing Ben McLachlan/Yoshihito Nishioka: 7-6 (3), 6-4. They will now compete against Robin Haase and Matwé Middelkoop.
The 33-year-old Koolhof was eliminated in the mixed doubles. With the Japanese Ena Shibahara he had no chance against the Australian duo Olivia Gadecki/Marc Polmans, who were admitted with a wild card. After just over an hour the score was 6-2, 6-2 for the Australians.
Robin Haase was also eliminated in the first round of the mixed doubles. The 35-year-old Hagenaar formed a couple in Melbourne with the Chinese Shuai Zhang. They won the first set against Australians Alana Parnaby and Andrew Harris 6-4, but lost the second in the tiebreak: 7-6 (6). The decisive match tiebreak then went 10-8 to the Australian couple.
Schuurs ends career Stosur
Demi Schuurs did reach the second round of the mixed doubles. With the Croatian Nikola Mektic, the 29-year-old from Limburg won via a match tiebreak against the Australian couple Samantha Stosur/Matthew Ebden: 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
It meant the end of her career for 38-year-old Stosur. Stosur, winner of the US Open in 2011, said goodbye at the Australian Open. She was previously eliminated in women’s doubles. Stosur burst into tears when she was cheered on court by the Australian fans after the defeat against Schuurs and Mektic.
