Novak Djokovic has made a strong start at this year’s Australian Open as he looks to pick up a 25th Major title.
The Australian Open third round has now come to a close, and in the men’s draw 128 players have now been whittled down to just 16.
It won’t come as too much of a surprise that one of those 16 players, is a certain Serbian star, as Djokovic made his way through to the fourth round without too much trouble.
Djokovic beat Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round, before taking down Portugal’s Jaime Faria in the second.
Then came a tougher test against Czech star Tomas Machac, who many predicted could cause the ten time Australian Open champion some real problems.
It turned out that the only problems came from the crowd, as Djokovic beat Machac in three sets, amidst some serious heckling from spectators throughout.
Djokovic’s performance was the best of his tournament so far, with one tennis legend claiming that the ATP star has ‘sent a message’ to his rivals with the win over Machac.
Justine Henin says Novak Djokovic ‘sent a message’ to the rest of the ATP Tour with win over Tomas Machac
Speaking to Eurosport after the match, former world number one Justine Henin, gave her thoughts on Djokovic’s third-round performance.
“I think it was really good from him and really gave us a sign that he is into the tournament,” said Henin.
“It was tough with his serve, his opponent, the crowd also.
“But from the first point he showed a lot of dedication and concentration.
“What he did in terms today in terms of message, and being upset, it’s a good sign for Novak [Djokovic].”
Henin then suggested what message had been sent by Djokovic with the win.
“Sometimes last year he wasn’t so much into it,” she said.
“I think today when we see his reaction at the end of the match, I think he sends the message – I am here guys at this Australian Open.”
Djokovic lost in the semi-finals of last year’s Australian Open to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, as he suffered his worst result at the event in six years.
Novak Djokovic will play Jiri Lehecka in the 2025 Australian Open fourth round
If Djokovic wants to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne, he’ll have to get past another Czech star in the fourth round.
The last of the impressive Czech contingent left in the tournament is Jiri Lehecka, who may prove to be a real stumbling block for Djokovic in the last 16.
Thanks to a mid-match retirement from his second-round opponent, the 23-year-old has played just nine sets so far this tournament, as he prepares to take on the 24-time Major champion for the second time in his career.
- 1R – beat Li Tu, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6
- 2R – beat Hugo Gaston, 6-3, 3-1 (RET)
- 3R – beat Benjamin Bonzi, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3
His win over Benjamin Bonzi was the most impressive of the three, as Lehecka dismantled the Frenchman in straight sets to book his spot in the Australian Open fourth round for the second time in three years.
Currently ranked 29th in the world, Lehecka has proven himself to be one of the most dangerous players on tour, with many predicting him to work his way towards the top-ten during 2025.
Lehecka and Djokovic have played just once before, as the Serb came out on top during their meeting at the 2024 United Cup.
Lehecka battled back to win the second set in a tiebreaker after he’d lost the first 6-1, before his older opponent eventually won in three sets.
What have Novak Djokovic and Jiri Lehecka said ahead of their fourth round match?
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic briefly previewed his fourth-round clash with Lehecka.
“[Jiri] Lehecka is one of the fittest guys on the tour, and I think his serve is underestimated,” he said.
“The more matches you win, the more confident you are, so I’m sure this kind of matchup comes at the right time for him, I’m sure he feels that he can beat me.
“You know, if we play on center court, you know, night session, it would be a great matchup. I’m looking forward to it.”
Lehecka also said that he was looking forward to playing Djokovic, after securing a big win over Bonzi.
“It was a great match today from my side, I’m very happy with the performance,” he said.
“I was the better player in a very difficult situation in the match, so I think it’s a good start.
“I mean, good position from which I’m going to be playing against Novak [Djokovic], you know, so I’m very happy with the performance today, I will look forward to see that for myself against him as well.”
Djokovic will play Lehecka in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday, January 19.
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