With a double bagel, Djokovic destroys Mannarino to reach Australian quarters

Novak Djokovic lost only three games against Adrian Mannarino in his fourth-round match at Melbourne Park on Sunday. Djokovic will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals.

Virginie Bouyer / Panoramic

Ricky Dimon

January 21, 2024

Adrian Mannarino doesn’t like to find out who he is playing against before a match begins.

He really doesn’t like it when it’s Novak Djokovic.

Mannarino fell to 0-5 lifetime in the head-to-head series and 1-13 in total sets when he lost to Djokovic 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 in the Australian Open fourth round on Sunday afternoon. The world No 1 needed only one hour and 44 minutes to advance.

If Mannarino’s goal was to get off the court quickly after going five sets in each of his first three matches, he accomplished it. Djokovic won the first 13 games of the match before the 35-year-old Frenchman finally got on the scoreboard with a hold for 1-1 in the third set. Mannarino managed to win two more games, but he never came close to making things competitive. Djokovic held to love at 5-3 to clinch a dominant victory in style.

i play great from the first to the last point.
Novak Djokovic

The 36-year-old Serb awaits either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz in the last eight.

“We know Stefanos and I played finals here last year,” Djokovic commented. “He’s been an established top-five player for many years now, he’s got a complete game.

“Hopefully they go to five sets over six hours with some rain interruptions, light disruptions, roof malfunctions, so they have to play tomorrow,” he joked.

Of course, it’s not like Djokovic needs any help considering how he played on Sunday. The 10-time Australian Open champion more than doubled his unforced error count (15) with winners (31) and he fired 17 aces. He saved all three of Mannarino’s break-point opportunities.

“I played great from the first to the last point,” Djokovic assured. “It’s a kind of cat-and-mouse tennis match in a way with with him, so I had to physically endure the long rallies — which I did. I served very well. In the moments when I needed to come up with a first serve, I did.

“Overall it was a great performance.”