Djokovic sets up blockbuster match with Alcaraz

Australian Open 2025

Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne Park

Coverage: Live vigor commentary connected Tennis Breakfast from 07:00 GMT connected BBC 5 Sports Extra, positive unrecorded substance commentaries connected the BBC Sport website and app

Novak Djokovic acceptable up a mouth-watering quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz astatine the Australian Open with a convincing triumph implicit Jiri Lehecka.

Djokovic continued his bid for a grounds 25th Grand Slam rubric with a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) triumph against the Czech 24th seed.

He volition look Alcaraz successful the past 8 aft the Spaniard progressed erstwhile British fig 1 Jack Draper retired with a hep injury earlier connected Sunday.

Alcaraz bushed Djokovic successful the past 2 Wimbledon finals, but the Serb got the amended of the 21-year-old to triumph golden astatine the Paris Olympics past summertime - Djokovic's self-proclaimed "biggest sporting achievement".

Djokovic was booed by the assemblage arsenic Lehecka threatened to unit a 4th set, and the 11-time Australian Open champion was speedy to permission Rod Laver Arena aft his victory.

"Thank you precise overmuch for being present tonight, I admit your enactment and I volition spot you successful the adjacent round," was each the 37-year-old said arsenic helium swerved the accustomed on-court interview.

During his third-round triumph implicit Tomas Machac, Djokovic appeared exhausted astatine times and needed a aesculapian timeout.

He looked fresher against Machac's compatriot, taking power of the opening 2 sets and stopping Lehecka from earning a interruption constituent for much than an hr and 40 minutes.

When Lehecka broke backmost astatine the commencement of the third, an agitated Djokovic shouted towards his squad - which includes his erstwhile rival Andy Murray - earlier complaining astir sound from the stands portion helium was trying to serve.

But the seventh effect utilized the assemblage to his vantage successful the tie-break, conducting them aft hitting a sublime backhand walk and cupping his receptor aft a deft volley brought up 2 lucifer points.

Elsewhere, 2nd effect Alexander Zverev overcame a mid-match blip to determination into the past 8 with a 6-1 2-6 6-3 6-2 triumph implicit France's Ugo Humbert.

Zverev, a runner-up astatine past year's Roland Garros and the 2020 US Open, has present reached the quarter-final of a Grand Slam connected 14 occasions but helium has yet to assistance a maiden large trophy.

The German volition look American 12th effect Tommy Paul, who needed conscionable 87 minutes wrapper up a assured 6-1 6-1 6-1 triumph against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.