Match Report

Djokovic dazzles, charges past Etcheverry at Australian Open

World No. 1 will face crafty Frenchman Mannarino, who has played 15 sets through the third round

January 19, 2024

Novak Djokovic in action against Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Friday at the Australian Open.
By ATP Staff

After a pair of battling opening wins, Novak Djokovic hit his stride to race to third-round victory Friday at the Australian Open.

The top seed and 10-time champion eased past Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(2) with a high-class, all-around display inside Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic did not face a break point and broke some late Etcheverry resistance in the third-set tie-break as he ran out a comprehensive winner across two hours and 28 minutes in his 100th Australian Open match.

“It was a great match, I think. The best performance I had during this tournament,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “Obviously I’m pleased with the way I played throughout the entire match, particularly the first two sets.

“He stepped it up, raised his level of tennis probably one or two levels in the third set and we went toe-to-toe. In the tie-break I guess I just found the right shots, the right serves, and closed it out in straights.”

Blink and you’ll miss it 💥@DjokerNole | @AustralianOpen | #AusOpenpic.twitter.com/tLijX4Dzgq

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 19, 2024

Djokovic had needed four sets and plenty of grit to shake off both Dino Prizmic and Alexei Popyrin in his first two rounds in Melbourne, but the 36-year-old dealt handsomely with a potentially dangerous opponent in the 30th-seeded Etcheverry. The 24-time Grand Slam champion struck the ball cleanly from deep, consistently finding angles to keep his opponent on the move.

Etcheverry impressed in dispatching Andy Murray and Gael Monfils in straight sets this week in Melbourne, but the Argentine never threatened to dethrone Djokovic at an event where he has now won his past 31 matches. The Serbian particularly targeted Etcheverry’s backhand, hitting with pace and depth to that week in order to dictate rallies.

Djokovic broke three times across the first two sets and delivered a typically composed tie-break performance to clinch the third. He was precise with his serving throughout and the Serbian finished the match having won 86 per cent (49/57) of points behind his first serve, also sending down 10 aces among his 34 winners.

With his 31st consecutive Australian Open match win, Djokovic improved to 3-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Etcheverry, against whom he has never lost a set. He next faces a fourth-round clash with 20th seed Adrian Mannarino, who won his 11th consecutive five-set match against American Ben Shelton.

The French veteran ended Ben Shelton’s hopes of making the second week of the Australian Open for the second consecutive year, defeating last year’s quarter-finalist 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4 to win his 11th consecutive five-set match.

Spotting the 21-year-old 14 years in age in the all-left-handed battle, Mannarino claimed his ninth straight win against lefties, while Shelton slipped to 0-5 against fellow southpaws in his pro career.

In a thoroughly entertaining battle pitting Shelton’s power game against the Frenchman’s craftiness and variety, Mannarino claimed the first set as he mixed in flat, off-pace groundstrokes, sudden injections of pace and stealthy net approaches to keep the 16th seed off balance.

Shelton showed patience in extended rallies and was willing to deploy his slice backhand with regularity, but 15 unforced errors to Mannarino’s three provided decisive.

Shelton was on track for a comeback victory after taking the second and third sets, but Mannarino, who has not lost a five-set match since the 2015 US Open against Andy Murray, forced a decider and then refused to yield.

At 35, Mannarino is playing the best tennis of his life and has moved to a career-high No. 17 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. He also enjoyed five-set wins against Stan Wawrinka in the first round and Jaume Munar in the second round.