Novak Djokovic on edge of history at Australian Open…what else is new?
The 24-time Grand Slam champion and 10-time Australian Open champion defeated Italian qualifier Francesco Mastrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to record his 399th career Grand Slam victory. Djokovic will face Botic van der Zandschulp or Shang Juncheng in the third round.
The 38-year-old has won all six sets he has played in Melbourne (in a total of four hours and 15 minutes), doing all he can to set himself up for the business end of the tournament with gas in the tank. He was clinical from start to finish on Day 5, needing just two hours and 15 minutes to lock up his 101st career Australian Open win. The Serbian icon, one win behind Roger Federer for the most wins in Australian Open history, could tie the Swiss with a third-round win and overtake him again to reach the quarter-finals.
Indeed, Djokovic is bidding to win a record 25th Grand Slam title as he bids to become the oldest player to win a men’s singles Grand Slam title in the Open era, but these are questions the Serbian icon may have to worry about next week.
On a sunny afternoon inside Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic is focused on the task at hand. He breezed through the first two sets, saving the only two break points he faced and successfully resolving three of nine break points to take a commanding lead over the 23-year-old, ranked 141st in the world.
After breaking serve at 2-1, he saved another break point early in the third game to tie the score at 3-1. Djokovic then earned a double break from the Italian and converted his fifth break point nine and a half minutes into the fifth game.
The Italian recovered a break in the next game – a dream come true for sure – but it was as close as he could get.
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