Novak Djokovic has once again etched his name in the tennis history books next to a longtime rival. Pleased as he is to make more history at the Australian Open, though, it's safe to say the 36-year-old is far more concerned with leaving Melbourne with another title.
Djokovic made quick of Adriano Mannarino on Sunday, beating his fellow veteran in straight sets 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals. The victory marks the Serbian superstar's 58th time reaching the final eight of a Grand Slam, tying an all-time record previously held by Roger Federer.
The top seed in Melbourne looked spry as ever against Mannarino, hitting 31 winners in a match that took just one hour and 44 minutes. Djokovic's form was especially encouraging because he's labored throughout the three previous rounds while battling an illness.
“The first two sets were some of the best sets I've played in a while,” he said, per the AP. “I played great from the first to the last point.”
Earlier in Melbourne, Djokovic needed four sets to beat Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic in the first round and four more to oust Australian Alexei Popyrin—both players unseeded—in the second round. He beat No. 30 Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets to set up his match with Mannarino, but only won after a third-set tie-breaker.
The illness that had previously dogged Djokovic—who's infamously unvaccinated against COVID-19—was never specified as more than a “regular viral infection,” and he hasn't taken a COVID test. No matter his actual diagnosis, the all-time leader in Grand Slam victories seems to be getting better at exactly the right time.
“Last couple of days has been really good,” Djokovic said. “It's going in a positive direction, health-wise, tennis-wise.”
Next up for Novak Djokovic is a Tuesday quarterfinal match with 12th-seeded American Taylor Fritz, who reached the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time on Sunday with a four-set victory over No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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