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 best form when playing Etcheverry, who is 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, 6ft 4in and a good server, struggled against one of the best returners in history. Djokovic often pressed left, 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 tiebreak by a 7-2 margin.
Djokovic has not lost at the Australian Open since the fourth round in 2018. Photo: ATP
Nole’s last two points were both aces. He won 86% of his first-serve points, hitting 10 aces from 34 winners. Etcheverry put little 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 Ben Shelton or Adrian Mannarino. He will be joined in the quarter-final draw by 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 satisfied 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 end the match."
Djokovic arrived in Melbourne with a sore wrist during the United Cup. He struggled in his first two matches with his serve or forehand. But his performance against Etcheverry showed he was in good form. "It's hard to judge Djokovic's position as the number one contender after this win," coach Boris Becker commented on Djokovic on Eurosport .
Vy Anh
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