Melbourne : Record 10-time winner Novak Djokovic has reached the men’s singles quarterfinals of the Australian Open tennis tournament without even taking the court as his fourth round opponent Jakub Mencic withdrew 24 hours earlier on Sunday due to an abdominal muscle strain.
Due to this, Djokovic, who was trying to win his 25th Grand Slam singles title, got a walkover. Organizers confirmed Mencic’s withdrawal late Sunday night. This match was to be played at Rod Laver Arena on Monday night. Mencic said, ‘I was not feeling good after the last few matches. The problem is in the muscles on the left side of my stomach. If I step on the court on Monday, it could be risky for my health.
On Saturday, 16th-seeded Mencic had defeated Ethan Quinn in straight sets. Djokovic became the first player to reach 400 Grand Slam singles wins by defeating Botic van de Zandschalp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the third round.
