Australian Open: Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff in Great Form to Reach Quarter-Finals

• Novak Djokovic beat Adrian Mannarino to advance to the Australian Open quarter-finals
• Coco Gauff continued her impressive run, beating Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2
• Djokovic will face Taylor Fritz next as Gauff squares off against Marta Kostyuk

Novak Djokovic showcased a dominant performance, securing a straight-sets victory over French 20th seed Adrian Mannarino to advance to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on January 21, 2024.

After overcoming illness and dropping sets in his initial matches, the Serbian equalled Roger Federer's men's record by making a Grand Slam quarter-finals appearance for the 58th time.

The defending champion is now the red-hot favourite to secure his 11th Melbourne title and a record 25th Grand Slam crown.

"I played great, from the first to the last point. It's going in a positive direction, health-wise, tennis-wise, so I'm really pleased with where I am at the moment," Djokovic said, as quoted by News.au.

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His next opponent is the 12th-seed Taylor Fritz, who defeated last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In the women's singles, fourth seed Coco Gauff continued her impressive run, aiming to become the first woman since Naomi Osaka in 2020-2021 to win a Grand Slam in Australia after a US Open title.

Gauff beat Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena and will face Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, defending women's champion Aryna Sabalenka displayed imperious form against unseeded Amanda Anisimova, securing a 6-3, 6-2 victory at the Margaret Court Arena, as reported by the BBC.

With seven of the women's top 10 seeds eliminated in the first week, Gauff and Sabalenka have a good chance to claim their second major titles.

Sabalenka, who has conceded only 11 games in four matches, is favoured to secure another title to complement her breakthrough Grand Slam win last year. If she succeeds, the 25-year-old will become the first woman since compatriot Victoria Azarenka in 2013 to retain the Australian Open title.

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Novak Djokovic Names His Best Five A Side Team

Sports Brief in September 2023 reported when Novak Djokovic named his dream five-a-side football team that he wished to play in when he was not winning Grand Slam titles.

The Serbian won his 24th Grand Slam title on September 10, 2023, beating Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2023 US Open, making history as the man with the most majors in tennis.

Djokovic named some great players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.