Twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic topples No. 24 seed Jiri Lehecka to advance to his 15th Australian Open quarterfinal, setting a showpiece against world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in Melbourne.
On a collision course from the offset, the much-anticipated quarterfinal clash between ten-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic and third seed Carlos Alcaraz, their eighth meeting on tour, has been set on Sunday at Melbourne Park.
The Serbian sealed his spot in the last eight by knocking down world No. 29 Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in two hours and 39 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.
Following a slow start to his campaign Down Under, the 37-year-old world-class tennis display erased any question marks about his real chances to challenge for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title.
For the second consecutive match, the 24-time Grand Slam winner prevailed over two top 20 in-form players - Tomas Machac and Lehecka - recording straight sets triumphs, dominating his opponents to achieve his 98th match win in Melbourne.
During the press conference, Djokovic commented: “I think the last two matches have been really high level. I played two Czech players that are in really good form.
“Lehecka won a tournament in the first week of the season. He’s been feeling the ball great.”
The Belgrade native showed no mercy from the baseline, overpowering his opponent in the lengthy rallies while seizing the moment to add pressure, forcing the Czech to commit costly errors.
Moreover, his superb court coverage neutralized the 23-year-old efforts to find a way through a third-set tiebreak and keep his chances alive in a potential four-set.
Every time the Brisbane International champion asked the question at the net, he found Djokovic on point to hold his ground with finesse.
Overall, the former world No. 1 hit 27 winners to 21 unforced errors compared to Lehecka’s 29 and 44, respectively, winning 81 percent of the points on his first serve.
When asked about his upcoming matchup against Alcaraz, the 99-time ATP titlist remarked: “I’m expecting a big battle, as is the case in most of our matches where we faced each other.
“He’s a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented and charismatic. Great to watch, but not that great to play against. I look forward to it.”
“I think when the draw was out, a lot of the people were looking forward to a potential matchup in the quarterfinals, Alcaraz versus me. So here we are.”
Djokovic leads the four-time Slam champion 4-3 in their series.
Earlier, the Spaniard guaranteed his place in the last eight when Briton Jack Draper retired from their fourth-round contest due to tendinitis in his left hip.
At the time, the 21-year-old, aiming to complete a career Grand Slam by capturing for the first time the Australian Open title, led 7-5, 6-1.
“This is not the way I want to win a match, to get through to the next round,” Alcaraz outlined in his on-court interview.
“I’m happy to play in another quarterfinal, but I am a little bit sad for Jack; he’s a nice person, he doesn’t deserve to get injured.
“He couldn’t prepare properly for the pre-season because of an injury, so I’m just a little bit sad for him, but I’m sure he’s going to come back stronger, and I want to wish him a speedy recovery.”
The same injury forced the US Open semifinalist to miss pre-season training and the United Cup.
Before his round of 16 match with the Spanish player, Draper spent over 12 hours on court through three five-set matches in a row, a monumental effort that took a toll on his body.
“(With) this hip thing, which I have been managing the last week or so I wasn’t expecting to come this far, actually, in all honesty,” the 23-year-old said when speaking to the press.
“Obviously, with all the hours I have played, (it has) been a bit too much on my body. I felt everything getting worse. Not ideal to end this way,” he added.
“I didn’t feel amazing before my last match, but I got out there, it felt OK. Maybe it was a little bit of a ticking time bomb, considering I had no preparation and no work for my body. I have really surprised myself with how much I have been able to put myself through.”
The world No. 18 left it all on the court, making an epic run he can be proud of, an impressive effort from a talented young player.
For his part, the Murcia-born, who just reached his 10th major quarterfinal, focuses on facing the world No. 7 on Tuesday for a spot in the semifinals.
In blistering form, Alcaraz prevailed in straight sets against Alexander Shevchenko and Yoshihito Nishioka, his first two outings, dropping his first set thus far into the major against Portuguese Nuno Borges, who fell to the Spaniard in four sets.