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Novak Djokovic in action. Alamy Stock Photo

Stunning Djokovic sets up blockbuster Australian Open quarter final with Alcaraz

On the women’s side of the draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals and was joined by Coco Gauff.

LAST UPDATE | 19 Jan

IRREPRESSIBLE 10-TIME champion Novak Djokovic set up a blockbuster Australian Open quarter-final Sunday with Carlos Alcaraz after downing Czech Jiri Lehecka.

The 37-year-old Serb, who is gunning for a record 25th Grand Slam title, beat the 24th seed 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Rod Laver Arena.

It sent him into the last eight at Melbourne Park for a 15th time, a record he now shares with Roger Federer and one ahead of Rafael Nadal and John Newcombe.

The win also extended his own all-time mark to 61 for most quarter-final appearances at majors, three ahead of the Swiss great.

His reward is a showdown on Tuesday with third seed Alcaraz, who is already a four-time Slam winner aged 21 but has never gone beyond the Australian Open quarter-finals.

The Spaniard set up the clash after Jack Draper retired during their last-16 match when losing 7-5, 6-1.

“Being in a quarter-final, I’m going to approach the match the same as I did in the previous matches against him, and let’s see,” said Alcaraz of Djokovic.

“When we are seeing him playing, he seems like he’s young again, so… It’s unbelievable. He’s in a really good shape.”

But the Spaniard added: “I’m just ready and I know what I have to do in quarter-finals.”

Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other seven times with the Serb leading 4-3, including victory in their last clash in the Paris Olympics final.

They have crossed paths at Grand Slams three times, twice in the Wimbledon decider with the Spaniard winning on both occasions.

But they have never played at Melbourne Park, where Djokovic has achieved his greatest success.

Lehecka won the lead-up Brisbane International event, where Djokovic lost in the quarter-finals, but he was never seriously in the reckoning on the big stage.

Djokovic quickly put pressure on his serve and achieved a break in the eighth game of set one when the Czech sent down a double fault.

Another break on Lehecka’s opening serve set the tone for set two with Djokovic dominating from the baseline.

The young Czech changed tactics in a closer set three, pushing Djokovic to the net more while picking up his serving intensity.

It went to a tiebreak where the Serb produced some stunning shots to seal the win.

Against Draper, Alcaraz was well on top when the Briton pulled the pin on a sweltering afternoon because of “multiple areas really in pain”.

The 15th seed Draper needed five sets to win his first three Melbourne matches, rallying from behind in all of them to stay in the tournament, and it finally caught up with him.

“It’s not the way I wanted to win. But obviously I’m happy to play another quarter-final here in Australia,” said Alcaraz.

“Physically, I’m feeling great. So coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it is important to feel well physically because right now the matches are even tougher.”

On the women’s side of the draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals and was joined by Coco Gauff.

Double defending champion Sabalenka blew away Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a ruthless display on the hottest day of the tournament so far.

As temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) in Melbourne, Gauff dropped a set for the first time this season but fought back to beat Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

Sabalenka and Gauff will meet in the semi-finals should they win their respective matches in the last eight.

Belarus’s Sabalenka was out on a roasting centre court for only 62 minutes before registering an 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park.

“I’m super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets,” said Sabalenka, who faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova next.

The Russian 27th seed beat ailing Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/0), 6-0.

Sabalenka struggled with her serve in colder conditions during the first week, but was untouchable as the mercury soared at the start of the second.

“The ball was flying like a rocket. I hope conditions are going to be the same till the end of the tournament,” said Sabalenka.

melbourne-australia-19th-jan-2025-aryna-sabalenka-of-belarus-celebrates-winning-match-point-during-her-round-four-match-against-mirra-andreeva-of-russia-during-the-2025-australian-open-at-melbourn Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates winning match point during her round four match. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

World number three Gauff next faces Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa, who dismantled Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6 (7/2).

“I thought in the first set she played great tennis and it was tough for me to be on the offensive,” American Gauff said after outlasting Bencic to extend her unbeaten streak to 13 matches going back to last year’s WTA Tour Finals.

“I just played more aggressively in the second set and then also the third set. But overall, I’m happy with how I played.”

– © AFP 2025

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