Novak Djokovic regained his rhythm and breezed through the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday, defeating 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry with little difficulty in his 100th match at the tournament.
The 10-time winner needed four sets to advance in his first two matches, against Dino Prizmic and Alexei Popyrin, but never struggled against the Argentine, winning 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2).
“It was a great match, I think the best performance I have had during this tournament and I’m pleased with the way I played throughout the entire match,” he said as cheers rang out on Rod Laver Arena.
The world number one has been under the weather in Melbourne, blowing his nose frequently during changeovers and admitting he has not been at his best.
The Friday evening encounter on center court, however, was devoid of drama, with the Serb delivering his customary concentrated and controlled effort.
He did not face a single break point in the match, which lasted little under two-and-a-half hours.
Djokovic, chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam championship that would break his tie with Margaret Court, struck first as he broke in the sixth game of the opening set for a 4-2 lead and went on to win the set.
The 36-year-old was instantly back on the offensive in the second set, breaking for a 2-1 lead over his 24-year-old opponent, who had eliminated Andy Murray and Gael Monfils from the competition, and breaking again to win the set.
Etcheverry dug deep in the third set and forced a tie-break, but the result was predictable, with Djokovic blasting an ace to seal victory in style.
The top seed has already made 100 appearances in his most successful major, trailing just Roger Federer (117) and Serena Williams (105).
Djokovic will face either French 20th seed Adrian Mannarino or American 16th seed Ben Shelton in the round of 16.