Wants apology from Australian Open broadcaster
MELBOURNE — Novak Djokovic charged into the Australian Open quarterfinals and booked a mouth-watering encounter with Carlos Alcaraz before the Serb shifted the focus by snubbing the Grand Slam’s official broadcaster and slamming them for mocking him and his fans.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka dismissed teenager Mirra Andreeva while Coco Gauff overcame Belinda Bencic to go through to the last eight and extend their winning streaks as Melbourne Park stifled in the summer heat earlier in the day.
A red-hot Djokovic then thumped Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) to stay on course for a record 25th Grand Slam title and 11th in Melbourne but the Serb was in no mood to discuss his chances as he declined an on-court interview and curtly thanked the crowd.
He then took aim at official broadcaster Channel Nine, whose reporter Tony Jones had mocked him and his fans when they were out in force cheering the Serb two days earlier.
“Novak he’s over-rated, Novak’s a has-been. Novak kick him out. Oh, I’m glad they can’t hear me,” Jones had said.
Jones had already been taken to task by American Danielle Collins, who he called a “brat” for her on-court behavior.
Djokovic said he had not received a public apology from the broadcaster and would continue boycotting them until he does.
“Since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel Nine,” Djokovic told reporters, adding he had made his feelings clear to tournament director Craig Tiley.
“I told him, ‘If you guys want to fine me for not giving an on-court interview, that’s okay.’ I’ll accept that, because this is something that needs to be done. That’s all there is to it.”
In a comment to news.com.au, Jones said: “It was good-natured banter with the Serbian fans. We’ve been doing it all tournament and it’s all in good fun. This is the happy Slam.”
Reuters has contacted Channel Nine for comment.
Second seed Alexander Zverev continued his sizzling form by beating Ugo Humbert 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 before Alcaraz eased into his second Australian Open quarterfinal after injury-hampered opponent Jack Draper threw in the towel while trailing 7-5, 6-1.
Djokovic said of Alcaraz: “He’s a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player. Great to watch, not great to play against.
“I look forward to it. I think when the draw was out, a lot of people were looking forward to (it). So here we are.”
SONEGO ENDS ANOTHER TEENAGE DREAM
Lorenzo Sonego ended the dream run of another teenager at the Australian Open as the unseeded Italian beat qualifier Learner Tien 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time on Monday.
Sonego had taken out Brazilian 18-year-old Joao Fonseca in the second round and his experience proved crucial yet again as he ground out the win over 19-year-old American Tien on John Cain Arena.
Tien stretched his strapped right thigh after a tame double fault in his opening service game and Sonego accepted the gift of an early break to cruise through the first set.
Sonego, a singer-songwriter in his spare time with a notable presence on Spotify, hit all the right notes in the next set and looked well on his way to a comfortable win after going up 5-2 with another break before holding in the eighth game.
But Tien, who was bidding to become the youngest man to reach the quarters since a 17-year-old Goran Ivanisevic in 1989, hit back with a break in the third set, which he went on to secure when Sonego hit a forehand long.
The Italian recovered quickly, however, and hit a series of rasping forehand winners en route to a 3-0 advantage in the fourth set before sealing the victory and booking a last-eight meeting with either Gael Monfils or Ben Shelton.
CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES
Double defending champion Sabalenka’s 6-1, 6-2 demolition of Andreeva took her run of consecutive victories at Melbourne Park to 18, while Gauff made it nine wins in a row in 2025 by seeing off Bencic, the Swiss scourge of major champions, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Tommy Paul was the first man to book his place in the last eight with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who appeared beaten up after back-to-back five-setters in the last two rounds.
Sabalenka was taken the distance and defeated by 17-year-old Andreeva in the French Open quarterfinals last year but it was not even close on Sunday as the world number one wrapped up the victory in 62 minutes.
“I’m super happy to get this win,” Sabalenka said. “Mirra is so young, so mature, such a great player. She can play really great tennis.”
Sabalenka faces Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who ran away with a 7-6(0), 6-0 win over Donna Vekic after the Croatian 18th seed injured her knee midway through the match.
Third seed Gauff lost her first set of the year to open her clash with Bencic, who had won seven of her last eight meetings with major champions.
The 27-year-old Swiss, ranked a lowly 294th on her return to the tour after having a daughter, was put on the back foot when the 2023 US Open champion came out firing in the second set.
Gauff, a semifinalist last year, continued to apply pressure and Bencic crumbled after two net cords conspired against her at 2-1 down in the third.
The American could face Sabalenka in the semifinals like last year if she can beat Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa, who made the quarterfinals for the first time in Melbourne by beating Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6(2) on Margaret Court Arena.
Badosa had to rally from 5-2 down in the second to get past the Serbian and reach her second straight major quarterfinal.
KEYS STUNS RYBAKINA
American Madison Keys upset sixth seed Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in a roller-coaster match at Margaret Court Arena to march into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Monday and extend her win streak to nine matches this year.
Adelaide Open champion Keys had lost to the Kazakh in their last two encounters but was well in control for most of the last 16 tie, barring a rough patch in the second set when she lost four straight games.
Rybakina seemed to be struggling with a lower back injury that had affected her in the third round and Keys was able to play aggressively to neutralize her big serve and take control of the rallies.
The decider was neck-and-neck early on at 3-3 before Keys moved up a gear and sealed her spot in the next round with a searing cross-court winner on her second match point.
She will next play Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who beat Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 earlier on Monday. — Reuters
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