Australian Open 2025
Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne Park
Coverage: Listen to live commentary on BBC 5 Sports Extra from 07:00 GMT and follow live updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
Novak Djokovic is making headlines at the Australian Open. He has secured his place in the quarter-finals by beating Jiri Lehecka with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). This match marked Djokovic’s 15th trip to the quarter-finals of this iconic tournament.
In the next round, Djokovic will face off against Carlos Alcaraz. Their match is highly anticipated, especially since Alcaraz recently triumphed over British number one Jack Draper, who had to retire due to a hip injury.
Djokovic is chasing his 25th Grand Slam title and hopes to add to his impressive collection. He has faced Alcaraz in two Wimbledon finals, where the young Spaniard came out on top. However, Djokovic bested him at the Paris Olympics. This adds a layer of excitement to their upcoming match.
The atmosphere during the match against Lehecka was intense. Djokovic faced some jeers from the crowd, especially when Lehecka momentarily threatened to push the match into a fourth set. After winning, he thanked the audience for their support but quickly left the court.
He later explained why he opted out of the usual on-court interview. Djokovic addressed some insulting remarks made by Channel 9’s Tony Jones towards Serbian fans, which had bothered him. He emphasized that his decision was not against the Australian public but a response to the lack of an apology from the broadcaster.
During his previous round against Tomas Machac, Djokovic appeared tired and even took a medical timeout. But in his match against Lehecka, he seemed more energized, dominating the first two sets. Despite a rocky start to the third set, he managed to rally back and take control during the crucial tie-break.
In other news from the tournament, second seed Alexander Zverev overcame a challenge to defeat Ugo Humbert 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Zverev, a seasoned player who has reached 14 Grand Slam quarter-finals, is still in search of his first major title. He will face the 12th seed, Tommy Paul, who cruised to a quick 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
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