A favorite to win the title will definitely be knocked out in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz and Djokovic have secured wins in the last 16 and will face each other in the Australian Open’s top clash. Djokovic refused to give an interview.
Tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have set up a clash of the titans in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Alcaraz, ranked third in the world, advanced to the next round in just 95 minutes after his British opponent Jack Draper withdrew from the second set with a score of 7-5, 6-1. He was followed a little later by 24-time Grand Slam tournament winner Djokovic of Serbia, who defeated the Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).“He’s not the right opponent to play a quarter-final,” said Alcaraz (21), smiling. Djokovic (37) raved about his 16-year-younger rival: “He’s a very dynamic, explosive player, incredibly talented, charismatic, great to watch – but not so great to play against.”
Alcaraz and Djokovic will play each other on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals. The winner would face Alexander Zverev if the Hamburg native wins his quarter-final against US pro Tommy Paul.
Djokovic causes a stir with interview boycott
Djokovic caused a stir after his round of 16 victory by refusing an on-court interview. He later justified this by saying that a sports journalist working for the broadcasting TV station Channel 9 had insulted Serbian fans and himself. He would therefore no longer give interviews to the station. Should he receive a fine for this, he would accept it, the ten-time Australian Open winner announced.
Alcaraz saved a little energy because eighth-final opponent Draper physically collapsed after about an hour and retired a little later. “This is not how I want to win matches,” Alcaraz said afterwards. “I’m a little sad for Jack.” Marathon man Draper, who had gone over five sets in each of the three rounds before, had to pay tribute to the great efforts of the past few days.
