Novak Djokovic has just served an open serve to end the game and he explodes towards the chair: “Booooom! “Booooom!” He projects the screams towards the Melbourne stands, which supports Frenchman Adrian Mannarino because the beating – without the final score of 6-0, 6-0 and 6-3 being completed – is great. The rival takes it with humor and puts a pair of glasses on his face with the two donuts he put in, but the Serb doesn't quite understand it. He doesn't fully understand that, having won ten trophies here and continuing to chase new records – two more on this unpleasant Sunday – he doesn't have the entire public at his feet. “I really wanted to lose the game in the third set because the tension in the stadium was rising and I had to put that out of the way and concentrate on what I had to do to finish the game,” says the number one in the Quarterfinals present. final and expanded after this final performance. After the first days of suffering, he fought Tomás Martín Etcheverry on Friday and today the Frenchman is suffering: he is Djokovic in his purest form.
“The first two sets were the best I've played in a long time, yes. I played great from the first point to the last. Adrian is a very unorthodox player who uses angles very well and has one of the flattest and most consistent backhands on the circuit. I had to kind of toughen up the long rallies and run around the court like I did. They served me very well in the moments when I needed the first ones. Great performance,” he says. In parallel, history says that it has been 12 years since he celebrated a similar celebration and that the scoreboard is already one of the largest in his career; He has only given up three games, just one more than he conceded against Nicolás Massú (Australia 2007), Carlos Berlocq (US Open 2011), Paolo Lorenzi (Australia 2012), Nicolás Mahut (Australia 2012) and again Lorenzi (US Open 2012). ). The momentum of the tournament is approaching and the Serb is spreading his wings and flapping them. The beast has awakened, says the great Rod Laver.
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“It's like he's preparing for the final,” commented a day earlier the legend after whom the center is named, the man who won eleven majors and achieved something unique and previously unattainable: the Grand Slam milestone repeat and win all four. majors in the same year. Only he (1962 and 1969) did it. Don Budge (1938), Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) once succeeded. However, the one from Belgrade had honey on his lips four times and was only a bite away from perfection. In any case, there is no possible discussion for The Rocket Laver, 85 years old. “He serves well, his groundstrokes are unbeatable. So I think that Unless someone miraculously plays their best tennis to defeat them, they can start putting their initials on the trophy,” he explained during the meeting with local reporters; “First of all, he is a great athlete, but his mind is completely focused on tennis. “So you’re a great champion.”
Rod Laver looks after the Australian media in Melbourne Park.LUKAS COCH (EFE)
It had been three years since Djokovic – quoted on Tuesday with the American Taylor Fritz, the executioner of Stefanos Tsitsipas – did not show his repertoire in the day session of the tournament. He says it's no secret that he prefers the seven o'clock schedule, but that today is “not bad.” Mannarino took an hour and twenty minutes for the first game, 32 wins in Australia. In search of his 11th title and 25th Grand Slam, which would see him surpass Court's historic record, the king of the circuit leaves content. After a rocky start to the week, a job well done and two more records to consider. They no longer fit in the notebook. He is in the quarterfinals of the tournament for the 14th time and in the quarterfinals of a major for the 58th time, tied with Rafael Nadal in the first case and Roger Federer in the second.
“I always try to be efficient and finish the game as quickly as possible in straight sets, but that's not always possible,” he refers to the bumpy start against Dino Prizmic and Alexi Popyrin, against whom he had to deliver two sets and had to overcome difficult moments. “As the tournament progresses, the rivals become tougher and have a higher level. So in games with five players you never know what will happen. But I don't think about it, I just go with the flow and overall the last two days have been really good. Everything is going in a positive direction, so I’m happy,” he concludes. Djokovic stands up, the others are shaking.
The sinner flies, Andreeva says goodbye
AC | Melbourne
As his strength increases, Jannik Sinner continues to make steady progress in the tournament. The Italian, 22 years old and already a contender for the final victory without having dropped a set, defeated Karen Khachanov 6:4, 7:5 and 6:3 and reached the quarterfinals, putting him one step ahead of the equal level achieved last season. He will face Andrey Rublev on Tuesday and is superior to local Alex de Miñaur (6-4, 6-7(7), 6-7(7), 6-3 and 6-0). With the elimination of the latter, Australia no longer has a representative in the tables.
In the women's event, Coco Gauff defeated Magdalena Frech 6:1, 6:2 and will face Marta Kostyuk. The Ukrainian, who stood out six years ago when she was just 15 and won two games, closed the gap on 20-year-old Russian Maria Timofeeva 6-2 and 6-1. The young Mirra Andreeva, 16 years old, also said goodbye, beaten by the experienced Barbora Krejcikova (4-6, 6-3 and 6-2). The Czech awaits the duel with the defending champion, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (6:3 and 6:2 against Amanda Anisimova).
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