Record-shattering Novak Djokovic said he was “hanging in there” after becoming the first player to win 400 Grand Slam matches Saturday on his way into the last 16 at the Australian Open.
The 38-year-old Serbian great swept past Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in front of a boisterous crowd on centre court to extend his own all-time record of match wins at the majors.
Roger Federer (369) and Serena Williams (365) are next best.
Victory was also his 102nd at Melbourne Park, where he has won 10 titles, to equal Federer with most Australian Open singles wins.
Djokovic’s reward is a fourth-round clash with either Czech rising star Jakub Mensik or American tournament debutant Ethan Quinn whose match was delayed due to extreme heat.
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The 24-time Slam winner is in good form so far as he bids to shatter the recent dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“I’m still trying to give these young guys a push for their money,” said Djokovic. “I’m still around. I’m hanging in there.
“Obviously Alcaraz and Sinner are the two best players in the world. They’re playing on a different level from all of us right now.
“But, you know, when you enter the court and the ball rolls, you always have a chance, particularly here, on the court that has given me the most in my career.”
But after making the semi-finals at all four majors last year and not going further, he stressed that he was “not getting ahead of myself”.
“Last year I got too excited, too early in some of the Grand Slams,” he said. “I was playing really well and getting to the quarters and semis and then getting injured in pretty much three out of four.”
The 75th-ranked Van de Zandschulp upset Djokovic in three sets at Indian Wells last year, but never looked like pulling off another shock.
The fourth seed wound back the clock with some phenomenal tennis in set one, securing the critical break in the fourth game after a mammoth 26-point rally.
He broke the Dutchman again on his opening serve in the second set and moved to 4-2, but it was a struggle and he became noticeably more irritable.
At one point, he smacked a ball towards an advertising hoarding out of frustration and nearly hit a ball kid, quickly apologising.
Djokovic had work on his foot during a medical timeout in set three after a tumble.
They exchanged breaks and the set went to a tiebreak, where he proved the most resilient.
“A few points before, I almost saw the physio, I was planning to see him for my blisters,” he said of the fall where he appeared to turn his ankle.
“Thankfully, I managed a good fall, if you can say that. Things could’ve been really ugly in that moment.”
Djokovic has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 major titles since winning the US Open in 2023.
AFP
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