Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are on course to face each other in a thrilling quarter-final clash at the Australian Open as the tournament heads into the fourth round on Sunday.
Djokovic, aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title, faces Czech 24th seed Jiri Lehecka in the evening match on Rod Laver Arena. The winner will meet Carlos Alcaraz, who advanced after his fourth-round opponent, Jack Draper, retired after the second set.
The men’s draw also features American 12th seed Tommy Paul, who is in the quarter-final for the first time after annihilating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in 87 minutes to set up a mouth-watering encounter against second seed Alexander Zverev, who finally dropped a set on his way to defeating French 14th seed Ugo Humbert.
Djokovic, 37, is steadily improving as the tournament progresses, having swept past Tomas Machac in straight sets in the third round. His performance is an ominous sign for his rivals as he eyes his 11th Australian Open title. “There’s always something to improve, but this is definitely the best match I’ve played in the tournament,” Djokovic said after his dominant victory.
