Tennis players Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenková advanced to the quarterfinals at the Grand Slam Australian Open and continue to nurture their hopes of defending their title.
Ten-time winner of the competition, Djokovic defeated Frenchman Adrian Mannarin smoothly 6:0, 6:0, 6:3 in the round of 16. World number two Sabalenkova won over American Amanda Anisimov 6:3, 6:2.
Cori Gauffová, the winner of the US Open and the tournament’s top four, also advanced to the top eight players.
The 36-year-old Serbian Djokovic reached the 58th Grand Slam quarterfinal, equaling the record held by Swiss Roger Federer in the so-called “open era”. The native of Belgrade can claim a 25th Grand Slam title, which would see him become independent at the top of the all-time rankings ahead of Australia’s Margaret Court.
“I honestly don’t mind the way I played today. It’s no secret that I like to play around seven o’clock in the evening. Today was not bad at all,” said Djokovic in an on-court interview. The match was played under the closed roof of the Rod Laver Arena due to rain.
Djokovic claimed his 32nd consecutive singles victory in Melbourne. Mannarin, the 19th player in the world, was awarded two “canaries”; he only lost the first game in the match at the beginning of the third set.
“The first two sets were some of the best I’ve played in a while. But in the third, I wanted to lose the game because the tension was building in the stadium. I needed to get back on track and focus again on finishing the match ” added Djokovic. He will next face American Taylor Fritz, who knocked out last year’s finalist, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 25-year-old Sabalenková, who is the highest seeded player in the tournament after Saturday’s end of the Polish Iga Šwiateková, did not lose a set in the tournament of the season. She defeated the three-year-younger Anisimovova, who returned after last year’s break caused by burnout syndrome, in 66 minutes. In the quarterfinals, she may face the tournament’s number nine Barbora Krejčíková, or sixteen-year-old Russian Mirra Andrejevová.
“I feel even stronger than last year. I don’t know. It’s good so far. I hope I can keep it as long as possible,” added Sabalenková.
Tennis Australian Open in Melbourne (hard court, endowment 86.5 million AUD):
Men:
Singles – 4th round: Djokovic (1-Serb.) – Mannarino (20-Fr.) 6:0, 6:0, 6:3, Sinner (4-It.) – Khačanov (15-Rus.) 6: 4, 7:5, 6:3, Rublyov (5-Russia) – De Minaur (10-Austria) 6:4, 6:7 (5:7), 6:7 (4:7), 6: 3, 6:0, Fritz (12-USA) – Tsitsipas (7-Greece) 7:6 (7:3), 5:7, 6:3, 6:3.
Juniors – 1st round: Brunclík (11-CR) – Stenzer (Germany) 7:6 (7:1), 6:3.
Language:
Singles – 4th round: Krejčíková (9-Czech Republic) – Andrejevová (Russia) 4:6, 6:3, 6:2, Sabalenková (2-Belarus) – Anisimovová (USA) 6:3, 6:2, Gauffová (4-USA) – Frechová (Pol.) 6:1, 6:2, Kostyukova (Ukraine) – Timofeevova (Russia) 6:2, 6:1.
Doubles – 3rd round: SiniakovaHunterová (3-CR/Aust.) – Alexandrová, Kalinská (Russia) 6:2, 6:2.
Junior girls – 1st round: Valdmannová (CZ) – Jovicová (8-USA) 1:6, 7:5, 6:4, Kovačková (7-CR) – Cinalliová (Arg.) 6:3, 6:3.
