Novak Djokovic has seamlessly advanced to the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open, securing a convincing victory against Tomas Etcheverry with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Following this triumph, the World No. 1 is set to face fellow veteran Adrian Mannarino for a spot in the quarterfinal on Sunday.
Djokovic’s journey to the fourth round involved hard-fought victories against Dino Prizmic (6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4) and Alexei Popyrin (6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3). However, despite being aware of his upcoming opponent, Mannarino prefers the identity of his rival to remain a surprise until a few hours before their match.
In his on-court interview after defeating Ben Shelton, Mannarino expressed his focus on relishing the moment and not worrying about what’s next. The 35-year-old acknowledged the unawareness of his next challenge and emphasized his desire to enjoy the current victory.
“I just want to enjoy this match and just have some good time with my team. And you know, we don’t really care about what’s next,” said Mannarino.
Adrian Mannarino, seeded 20th, is pursuing his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2024 Australian Open. Meanwhile, Djokovic, eyeing a historic 11th title at the tournament and a record-extending 25th Grand Slam overall, is determined to continue his impressive run.
The winner between Djokovic and Mannarino will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz in the 2024 Australian Open semifinal. The Frenchman, known for his humour, amusingly shared that he found out about his second-round opponent when his driver wished him good luck against Jaume Munar.
As the tournament unfolds, Djokovic remains a formidable contender, poised to make history, while Mannarino seeks to create his own milestone with a breakthrough into the quarterfinals. The stage is set for a thrilling encounter between the experienced Djokovic and the determined Mannarino at the Melbourne Major.
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