Mumbai: “Well, this is not the right player to play in a quarter-final, I guess.”
Carlos Alcaraz was talking about his potential last-eight opponent even before that player had stepped on court for his fourth-round match at the Australian Open. Such was the air of inevitability.
Sure enough, Novak Djokovic held his end up, sweeping past 24th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) and rushing off without giving an on-court interview in protest against comments made on air by a reporter of the official broadcaster Channel 9 (what’s an Australian Open without some Djokovic controversy!). Alcaraz was also quick in booking his spot, Briton Jack Draper forced to retire due to a hip injury after going two sets down.
And so, the rematch of the Paris Olympics final is set for Tuesday. Except, it’s come a lot sooner at Melbourne Park; mainly down to the 37-year-old Djokovic’s dip in world ranking and seeding due to his selective tournament play.
Neither, one could safely assume, would think the other is the “right player” to play at this premature stage. Djokovic, a record 10-time champion at the season-opening Grand Slam, is into his 15th quarter-final at the Australian Open. The last time he lost there was in 2014. Alcaraz is already into his 10th Slam quarter-final at age 21, equalling the most appearances by any man before turning 22. The two are the biggest Grand Slam contenders going around in men’s tennis currently, apart from Jannik Sinner who is easing along in the other half of the draw.
They’ve never faced each at the Australian Open before. They’ve never faced each other in the quarter-final of a Grand Slam before.
“For me, it’s not going to change anything if I’m playing him in quarter-final or semi-final,” Alcaraz said. “Probably changes a little bit if it is a final, obviously.”
Their previous two clashes have been finals. And not just any final. The two played each other for the Paris Olympics singles gold and the Wimbledon crown last year, with Alcaraz shining on grass and Djokovic sizzling on clay. So close and intense were those two encounters — they were straight sets on paper but a gripping watch — that it raised their riveting rivalry by a couple of notches.
Djokovic versus Sinner has so far been a tale of one-way traffic towards either at different points (Djokovic won their first three contests, Sinner the most recent three). With Djokovic versus Alcaraz, no one has had a distinct edge at any point. It rests 4-3 in favour of the Serb, but switches to 2-1 in favour of the Spaniard in Grand Slams. They’ve only met once in an outdoor hard-court tournament, in the final of the ATP Cincinnati Masters. It turned out to be arguably the match of the 2023 season that Djokovic won in three tight sets, two of them going to tiebreakers.
No wonder Djokovic is expecting a “big battle” on Tuesday; also because he sees a little bit of his biggest rival, Rafael Nadal, in this young Spaniard.
“He’s a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player. Great to watch, not that great to play against,” Djokovic said. “I look forward to it. I think when the draw was out, a lot of the people were looking forward to this potential match-up in quarter-finals, Alcaraz versus me. So here we are.”
One of the biggest factors why this rivalry has built a fascinating taste is that the five-time Grand Slam winner truly believes he can beat the 24-time Grand Slam champion every time he steps on court. That mindset explains Alcaraz taking the bragging rights in their first meeting. And beating him not just once but twice in a Wimbledon final.
“I know my weapons. I know that (if) I’m able to play good tennis against him, I’m able to beat him,” Alcaraz said.
At this Australian Open, Djokovic certainly hasn’t carried that same aura of invincibility. He took his time to get going in the first round where he dropped the opening set, and has played far from the level one has come to expect from him across the first two rounds. The third-round win against Tomas Machac was more like it. So was his show on Sunday against Lehecka, who came into this tournament after winning the ATP Brisbane title. Djokovic, though, never really let the Czech settle and was particularly precise with his returns of serve.
“I think the last two matches have been really high level,” Djokovic said.
The 10-time champion has warmed up for bigger battles ahead. Alcaraz indeed is, despite the Spaniard having a modest record at the Australian Open. He has only made the quarters so far in Melbourne, but has looked by far the best this time among his four appearances. The tweak in his service motion has helped earn Alcaraz more cheap points from his first strike, and he has looked dialled in from the first point of his season’s curtain raiser.
But taking on Djokovic at the Australian Open is a challenge unlike any other. A challenge unknown to Alcaraz thus far. Djokovic has seen it all, except Alcaraz at the Australian Open. Who’s your pick?
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