Novak Djokovic was at his dominant best in a straight-sets demolition job to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff in equally ruthless touch.
The Serbian superstar regained his top form to advance to the last 16 after dropping sets in his first two matches despite feeling ill, and he moved up another level against Adrian Mannarino.
The French 20th seed, who is a year younger than Djokovic at 35, has experienced a late-career renaissance.
But he was taught a lesson by the world number one, who won the first 13 games and advanced to the final eight of a Grand Slam for the 58th time, equaling Roger Federer’s men’s record.
“I played great, from the first to the last point,” said the defending champion, who is red-hot favourite to collect an 11th Melbourne title and a record 25th Grand Slam crown.
“It’s going in a positive direction, health-wise, tennis-wise so I’m really pleased with where I am at the moment.”
Djokovic usually plays the night session at Rod Laver Arena, but was moved to the afternoon this time.
That’s because home hope Alex de Minaur, seeded 10, is attempting to reach the final eight for the first time, but Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev stands in his way.
In other fourth-round action, fourth seed Jannik Sinner will meet Karen Khachanov, who reached the semi-finals last year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the seventh seed who beat him in the semi-finals, will face 12th-seeded American Taylor Fritz for the right to face Djokovic next.
‘An honour’
Sabalenka, the defending women’s champion, was in imperious form against unseeded Amanda Anisimova on Margaret Court Arena, winning 6-3, 6-2.
Coco Gauff, the fourth seed seeking to become the first woman to win a Grand Slam in Australia after winning the US Open since Naomi Osaka in 2018-19, has been almost as remarkable.
She defeated Poland’s unseeded Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2 in just 63 minutes at Rod Laver Arena, with the 85-year-old tennis veteran watching from the stands.
“It was an honour to play in front of you, so thank you for coming to my match,” said 19-year-old Gauff, who had never made it past the fourth round at Melbourne Park in four previous efforts.
“First Aussie quarter-final. Super happy to be in this position and be here…. It’s cool to get over that hump.”
She will next meet Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who beat Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-1.
With seven of the women’s top ten seeds eliminated in the first week, including world number one Iga Swiatek, Gauff and Sabalenka have a fantastic opportunity to capture their second major title.
They are on the same side of the draw and will not face in the final, with a possible last-four match instead.
Sabalenka has dropped just 11 games in four matches and is expected to win another title to add to her maiden Grand Slam victory last year.
If she goes all the way, the 25-year-old will become the first woman to retain the championship since compatriot Victoria Azarenka in 2013.
“I’m getting stronger because I enjoy the atmosphere and I really want to stay here as long as I can till the very last day,” she said.
Her next opponent will be Mirra Andreeva, an unseeded Russian 16-year-old, or Barbora Krejcikova, the ninth seed.
If Andreeva continues her fantasy run, she will become the youngest woman to reach the Melbourne Park quarterfinals since Martina Hingis in 1997, to whom she has often been likened.