Djokovic enters Australian Open fourth round

Australia's top seed Novak Djokovic did not face any break-points when he beat Tomas Etcheverry 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(2) on the afternoon of January 19.

After losing both sets in the first two matches, Novak Djokovic showed his top form when playing Etcheverry, who is currently ranked 32nd on the ATP. Nole had no trouble in his service games and took advantage of three of seven break-points to win after nearly two and a half hours on the Roda Laver Arena.

Etcheverry is 6ft 4in and a good serveer, but he struggled against one of the best returners in history. Djokovic often pressed forehand, sending the ball deep into the backcourt to exploit Etcheverry's defensive slice. He won most of the rallies before ending the match in a tie-break by a 7-2 margin.

Djokovic has not lost at the Australian Open since the fourth round in 2018. Photo: ATP — Djokovic has not lost at the Australian Open since the fourth round in 2018. Photo: *ATP*

Nole’s last two winning points were both aces. He won 86% of his first-serve points, hitting 10 aces from 34 winners. Etcheverry barely put any pressure on Nole, despite coming off two impressive 3-0 wins over Andy Murray and Gael Monfils.

Djokovic's 31st straight win in Melbourne puts him in the fourth round against either Ben Shelton or Adrian Mannarino. Joining Nole in the quarter-final draw are two seeds Taylor Fritz or Stefanos Tsitsipas, who also won quickly on January 19.

"This is my best performance since the beginning of the tournament," Djokovic said after the match. "I'm happy with the way I played, especially the first two sets. In the tie-break, I found the right way to play, the right serves to finish the match."

Djokovic arrived in Melbourne with a sore wrist during the United Cup. He struggled in his first two matches with his serve and forehand. But his performance against Etcheverry showed that Nole was in full form. "It's hard to judge Djokovic's position as the number one candidate after this victory," coach Boris Becker commented on Djokovic on Eurosport .

Vy Anh

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