MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic charged into the Australian Open quarter-finals 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 behaviour.
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 its all in good fun. This is the happy Slam.
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 quarter-final 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.”
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 quarter-finals 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 semi-finalist 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 semi-finals like last year if she can beat Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa, who made the quarter-finals 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 quarter-final.
“It wasn’t like a real 5-2 because I was playing well,” said the 27-year-old.
Badosa added that she was looking forward to taking on Gauff after losing to the American in Beijing and Rome last year.
“I love Coco,” she said. “We always have tough matches. The last one was really tough … I hope I can have my revenge.”
