Novak Djokovic secured a straightforward victory over Jiri Lehecka at the Australian Open, defeating the 24th seed 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in just under three hours.
Djokovic's performance was clinical, committing only 21 unforced errors compared to Lehecka's 44, which allowed the Serbian to dominate much of the match.
This win sees Djokovic advance to the quarterfinals, equalling Roger Federer's record of 15 appearances in the men's singles quarterfinals at this prestigious hard-court major.
The match took place at the iconic Rod Laver Arena, where Djokovic's composed approach and aggressive play were on full display. Despite some early resistance from Lehecka, particularly in the first set, the Czech player struggled to keep up with Djokovic’s pace and precision.
The first set was decided after Lehecka faltered with his service game at 4-3, handing Djokovic the break needed to close out the set. Djokovic, with his usual poise, did not make any significant errors in his service game, and that proved crucial as he quickly moved ahead in the second set.
A break in the opening game of the second set was all Djokovic needed to double his lead.
The third set was a more competitive affair. Lehecka found some form, managing to break Djokovic's serve early. However, the Czech's service issues continued to plague him, and Djokovic capitalised once more, eventually winning the set after a tense tie-break, which marked his first tie-break victory of the year.
With this victory, Djokovic now sets up an exciting quarterfinal showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, who earlier in the day advanced after Jack Draper retired from their fourth-round match with the scoreline at 7-5, 6-1 in Alcaraz’s favour.
Djokovic and Alcaraz have had a closely contested rivalry, with the Serbian holding a 4-3 lead in their head-to-head meetings. However, Alcaraz has won two of their three previous encounters in Grand Slam tournaments, making this upcoming match all the more intriguing.
Djokovic is on a mission to extend his record of 25 Grand Slam titles, but this tournament also holds special significance.
The Serbian is aiming to become the oldest player to win a Grand Slam, a record currently held by Australian tennis legend Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open at the age of 37 years and 62 days.
Djokovic, at 37 years and 249 days old by the end of the tournament, could soon rewrite tennis history.
On the other hand, Alcaraz, who is one of the youngest stars in tennis, is looking to achieve a major milestone of his own. The 21-year-old Spaniard is aiming to become the youngest player in history to complete a career Grand Slam in men’s singles.
With youth on his side, Alcaraz also has the chance to become the youngest Australian Open champion since Djokovic himself triumphed here at the age of 20 in 2008.
Meanwhile, the other quarterfinals saw impressive performances from Alexander Zverev and Tommy Paul. Zverev, the World No. 2, battled past Ugo Humbert 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the final eight.
Zverev is still chasing his first Grand Slam title, and the Australian Open could be the perfect opportunity for him to achieve that.
He will next meet Tommy Paul, who was in outstanding form as he dismantled Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in just 87 minutes, making it one of the most dominant wins of the tournament.
Follow us
