Novak Djokovic matched Roger Federer’s achievement, securing his 58th Grand Slam quarter-final with a commanding display against Adrian Mannarino at the Australian Open on Sunday. Djokovic dominated the initial 13 games, raising the possibility of a ‘triple bagel’ victory (6-0, 6-0, 6-0). Despite Mannarino avoiding a shutout with a win in the third set, Djokovic, in his 73rd major tournament, clinched a 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 victory.
Overcoming illness and enduring lengthy matches earlier in the tournament, Djokovic demonstrated formidable form, although crowd interactions remained a source of contention. The Serbian expressed satisfaction with his performance, hitting 31 winners and advancing to the quarter-finals for the 14th time, equaling Rafael Nadal and John Newcombe. Djokovic is set to face 12th-ranked Taylor Fritz, who secured his inaugural top-10 win at a Grand Slam by eliminating last year’s runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas. Fritz, previously winless against top-10 players in Grand Slams, triumphed 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, reaching the Melbourne quarter-finals for the first time.
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Despite losing all eight prior meetings with Djokovic, including a challenging five-set defeat three years ago, Fritz seeks a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Tsitsipas, buoyed by Melbourne’s Greek community, experienced his best Australian Open results but failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2020.
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