JAKARTA - Novak Djokovic's journey towards a record 25th Grand Slam title continued when he defeated 20th seed Adrian Mannarino dominantly to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
The Serbian player played aggressively when defeating his French opponent at Rod Laver Arena, winning 6-0, 6-0, 6-3, as well as underlining his status as a favorite to win his 11th title at Melbourne Park.
"I really feel like I'm going to lose that game in the third set as tensions escalate in the stadium," said Djokovic, who joked about winning without losing the game, as broadcast by AFP on Sunday.
"I just need to get rid of that and get back to focus."
The world number one advanced to the last eight of the Grand Slam for the 58th time, matching Roger Federer's record.
Djokovic has now won 32 games in a row at the Australian Open, having not tasted a defeat since losing against South Korean Chung Right in 2018.
The 10-time champion did not compete in the 2022 edition for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Mannarino, whose previous three matches took place in five sets, rose at the end of his career, winning three titles last year, at Newport, Astana, and Sofia.
However, he was made to appear mediocre by the top seeds at the Australian Open this time.
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Djokovic appeared very dominant in the match, which took place under the roof due to rain.
Mannarino also could not master the game in the first set and second set.
The 35-year-old had detained Djokovic's attack, holding service three times in the third set, but it only delayed victory for the world number one.
Djokovic began his journey at the Australian Open 2024 slowly, losing set in his first two games, but his level has since soared.
The 36-year-old -- only one year older than his opponent -- said he played "great from the first point to the last point."
"The last few days have been very good. It's heading in a positive direction," said Djokovic.
Djokovic will meet seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or 12th seed from America Taylor Fritz to fight for a place in the semifinals.
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