Adrian Mannarino, French number 1 and newcomer in the Top 20 at 35 years old (19e), scored only three games against world number 1, Novak Djokovic, in the round of 16 of the Australian Open, winning 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 in 1 hour 44 minutes on Sunday January 21. In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will face either world number 7 and outgoing finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas or world number 12 Taylor Fritz.
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1:19 a.m.: that’s the time it took Mannarino to score his first game on the Rod Laver Arena, roof closed after a downpour which delayed the start of the match by a few minutes. Before that, the French left-hander suffered a stunning 6-0, 6-0 in 67 minutes, surely damaged physically by his efforts over the first three rounds completed in five sets. In total, he spent almost 12 hours on the courts of Melbourne Park before challenging Djokovic.
“A positive direction”
Even he preferred to laugh about it: on his chair, between the second and third innings, he ironically formed two zeros with his fingers around his eyes. “The first two sets were the best I’ve played in a while. In terms of play and form, things are going in a positive direction.”appreciates Djokovic, who said to himself “a little woozy” after his first match.
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The 36-year-old Serbian, looking for a 25e unprecedented coronation in Grand Slam and an 11e in Melbourne, confirms his regained form after a turbulent start to the fortnight. In the first two rounds, he had dropped a set each time. He seriously accelerated in the next two.
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Mannarino eliminated, there remains one French player competing in the men’s draw: the young Arthur Cazaux (122e), who will challenge world number 9, Hubert Hurkacz, in the round of 16 on Monday.
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