Australian Open 2025 Day 8 Recap

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will face off in Tuesday’s quarter-final after each males made comfy progress into the final eight on Sunday.

Within the day session, each matches had been lower quick for a similar motive: Jack Draper and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina couldn’t muster sufficient bodily power to compete after their earlier five-set exploits within the event.

Draper was pressured to retire towards Carlos Alcaraz on Rod Laver, with the Spaniard main 7-5, 6-1. A hip concern prevented the Brit from persevering with. Fokina accomplished his match, however he in the end provided little resistance as he fell to Tommy Paul 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in simply 87 minutes.

Over at John Cain Area, Sascha Zverev dropped his first set of the event however recovered properly to take out the damaging Ugo Humbert 6-1 2-6 6-3 6-2.

Within the evening session, Novak Djokovic confronted twenty fourth seed Jiri Lehecka, who, like his compatriot Tomas Machac, had been slated to be a tricky check for the 10-time champion.

Nonetheless, one other straight-set blowout ensued as Djokovic managed the match from begin to end, th eonly blip when he couldn’t consolidate a break in the beginning of set 3.

Day Eight 2025 Australian Open Spherical of 16 Outcomes

Winner
Loser
Scoreline

Novak Djokovic (7)
Jiri Lehecka (24)
6-4 6-4 7-6(4)

Carlos Alcaraz (3)
Jack Draper (15)
7-5 6-1 RET

Tommy Paul (12)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
6-1 6-1 6-1

Alexander Zverev (2)
Ugo Humbert (14)
6-1 2-6 6-3 6-2

Alcaraz Strikes Via After Draper Retirement

Given Jack Draper’s three five-setters in a row in Melbourne, there would all the time be important query marks about whether or not he may final bodily towards third seed Carlos Alcaraz.

The reply was no, because the Brit was pressured to retire when behind 6-7 1-6 on account of a hip harm, one thing he’d been coping with within the low season that prevented him from heading over to Spain to follow with Alcaraz. He revealed within the press convention that he has tendinitis.

With simply two units performed, there wasn’t a lot to see, however we once more noticed Alcaraz slip into his unforced error mode when main 5-2, which allowed Draper to degree at 5-5.

Nonetheless, Alcaraz can sometimes regain focus shortly, and from there, he gained eight of the following 9 video games, with Draper receiving medical consideration off-court after the primary set.

It’s not the way in which I need to win the match to get via to the following spherical. “I’m simply completely happy to play in one other quarter-final in Australia however somewhat bit unhappy for Jack, he’s a pleasant particular person. He doesn’t need to get injured. He couldn’t put together the beginning of the season effectively due to an harm. We should always have performed a great week of preseason [together], however we couldn’t due to an harm as effectively. I’m just a bit bit unhappy for him however I’m certain he’s going to come back again stronger and I need to want him a speedy restoration I’m simply proud of the extent that I’m enjoying on the court docket. Off the court docket I’m feeling actually comfy right here in Australia. I feel it’s fairly good. Bodily I’m feeling nice so coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it’s actually essential to really feel effectively bodily as a result of proper now the matches are even harder. I’m simply prepared. I feel I’m doing nice issues off the court docket as effectively. I’m enthusiastic about enjoying my second quarter-final in Australia and hopefully getting additional this yr. Alcaraz on his win.

Djokovic Dominates Lehecka

Novak Djokovic produced one other top-drawer efficiency on Rod Laver Area on Sunday to arrange a extremely anticipated quarter-final conflict with Carlos Alcaraz.

The Serbian cruised previous twenty fourth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4), securing a two-hour, 39-minute victory that equalled Roger Federer’s document of 15 males’s singles finals at Melbourne Park.

Djokovic displayed his trademark baseline dominance for the second consecutive match, overpowering the Czech, who many thought would supply a stiff problem given Novak’s early-round performances towards Basavareddy and Faria.

Nonetheless, towards Machac and now Lehecka, two Czech gamers with top-10 ambition, he basically schooled them, committing simply 21 unforced errors and by no means actually trying troubled.

Djokovic can now sit up for his Grand Slam assembly with Alcaraz on a tough court docket. Novak leads their Head2Head 4-3, profitable the final one on the Paris Olympics.

Different 4th Spherical Matches

Alexander Zverev dropped his first set of the event however rebounded shortly to defeat Ugo Humbert 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The Frenchman is a streaky participant who can take the racket out of anybody’s palms, and he did that in set two to degree issues up.

Nonetheless, Zverev, who has an impeccable document towards left-handers, knuckled down and solely dropped one level behind his first serve in units 3 and 4. I additionally thought he hit his forehand convincingly, which is what he must do if he’s going to win the event.

The World No. 2 will subsequent face Tommy Paul, who dominated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in simply 87 minutes.

Like Draper, Davidovich Fokina has spent an age on court docket within the first week, combating again from two units down in his earlier rounds, so he pulled up reasonably lame towards the twelfth seed.