Novak Djokovic (ATP 5) has easily qualified for the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. The Serb defeated home player Alex de Minaur (ATP 24) in three short sets in the fourth round.
In the first joint duel between 35-year-old Djokovic and 23-year-old De Minaur, the Serb won 6: 2, 6: 1 and 6: 2, again with his left thigh taped. After two hours and six minutes the game was over at the Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic, the fourth seed, plays Russia’s Andrey Rublev (ATP 6) for a place in the semifinals. Previously, he had held two match points against the Dane Holger Rune (ATP 10) and prevailed after five sets.
In the mutual clashes, Djokovic leads 2-1 against Rublev, who is ten years his junior. Their last game dates from the end of last season at the Masters in Turin, where ‘Nole’ scored 6-4 and 6-1 in the group stage. He went on to win the title.
Djokovic is aiming for his tenth overall victory in Melbourne. He reached the top nine between 2008 and 2021. Last year, the Serb was absent from Australia because of his refusal to be vaccinated against the corona virus. In another coronation at Melbourne Park, Djokovic equals record holder Rafael Nadal with 22 Grand Slam titles.
Van Uytvanck falls in doubles
Alison Van Uytvanck failed to qualify for the doubles quarterfinals at the Australian Open on Monday. Along with Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina, the 28-year-old Flemish Brabant suffered a 6-3, 5-7 loss to China’s Yang Zhaoxuan and Taiwan’s Chan Hao Ching, seeded 11th in Melbourne, in the third round.
Elise Mertens is now the only remaining Belgian in the tournament. Later in the day, she and Australia’s Storm Hunter will face Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic and Romania’s Monica Niculescu in the third round. Mertens and Hunter make up the fourth seed.
Fourth seed Garcia falls, Killer van Mertens prevails
Caroline Garcia (WTA 4) was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Australian Open. The French, who was seeded fourth, lost to Magda Linette (WTA 45) from Poland 7:6 (7/3) and 6:4.
Garcia, 29, won the WTA Finals late last season after just reaching the semifinals of the US Open. After the Pole Iga Swiatek (WTA 1) and the Tunisian Ons Jabeur (WTA 2), she is the third player from the top four to be eliminated in Melbourne. Only the American Jessica Pegula (WTA 3) is still standing.
Magda Linette is in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career. The 30-year-old Pole meets Czech Karolina Pliskova (WTA 31). The former Wimbledon (2021) and US Open (2016) finalist defeated China’s Shuai Zhang (WTA 22) 6-0 and 6-4 in the fourth round.
After the scalp of Elise Mertens, Aryna Sabalenka (WTA 5) also conquered that of the Swiss Belinda Bencic (WTA 10). The Belarusian won 7: 5 and 6: 2 on Monday. In her first quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Sabalenka meets Croatian Donna Vekic (WTA 64). She won 6:2, 1:6 and 6:3 against the Czech Linda Fruhvirtova (WTA 82). It is also the first time for the 26-year-old that he has finished in the last eight at the Australian Open.
Rublev saves two match points and advances to the quarterfinals
Russia’s Andrey Rublev (ATP 6) qualified for the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with great difficulty. In the fourth round against the Dane Holger Rune (ATP 10) he saved two match points.
Rublev had to accept a 2:5 deficit in the decisive fifth set, but fought back and managed another tiebreak. Rune got two match points, but Rublev again corrected the lopsided situation. When the score was 10:9, the Russian himself redeemed his third match point. After three hours and 39 minutes it was 6: 3, 3: 6, 6: 3, 4: 6 and 7: 6 (September 11) in the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Andrey Rublev is the fifth seed in Melbourne. The 25-year-old Russian has already reached the quarterfinals once in 2021. He plays against the nine-time winner Novak Djokovic (ATP 5) or Alex de Minaur (ATP 24) for a ticket to the semifinals. The Serb and Australian meet later in the day in the fourth round.
Shelton keeps braking
The fairy tale of the American Ben Shelton (ATP 89) at the Australian Open continues. On Monday he won in the fourth round against his compatriot JJ Wolf (ATP 67) and thus qualified for the quarterfinals.
It is the first participation in the Australian Open for both 20-year-old Shelton and 24-year-old Wolf. The duel at the John Cain Arena in Melbourne developed into an almost four-hour five-setter. Shelton eventually won 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4) and 6-2.
In the quarterfinals, Shelton meets the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (ATP 25) or his compatriot Tommy Paul (ATP 35).
At the end of last season, Shelton played his first Grand Slam tournament at the US Open thanks to a wildcard. He immediately lost in the opening round to Portuguese qualifier Nuno Borges.
Source : HLN
