{"id":16541,"date":"2025-01-03T03:00:24","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T03:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=16541"},"modified":"2025-01-03T03:00:24","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T03:00:24","slug":"almost-killed-me-rising-stars-stunning-turnaround-as-djokovic-hints-that-his-days-are-numbered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=16541","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Almost killed me\u2019: Rising star\u2019s stunning turnaround as Djokovic hints that his days are numbered"},"content":{"rendered":"
Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were in ominous form ahead of the Australian Open as both powered into the Brisbane International quarter-finals on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
On a day when rising stars Mirra Andreeva and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard underlined their potential, Djokovic cruised past fellow veteran Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 in 72 minutes.<\/p>\n
In the women\u2019s draw, world number one Sabalenka — who is aiming to win the Australian Open for the third time in a row — beat Kazakhstan\u2019s Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (7\/2), 6-4.<\/p>\n
Djokovic and Monfils played an entertaining match, but the 37-year-old Serb was always in control as he notched his 20th straight win over the Frenchman.<\/p>\n
Former world number one Djokovic plays giant American Reilly Opelka in the last eight.<\/p>\nNovak Djokovic of Serbia pretends to play the violin after winning his men’s singles match against Gael Monfils of France at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 2, 2025. (Photo by Patrick HAMILTON \/ AFP) \/ –IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE–Source: AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been playing a long time, I\u2019ve known Gael since I was 15 and he was 16,\u201d said Djokovic, who is pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title when the Australian Open begins on January 12.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had a good score against him over the years but we\u2019ve had some incredible battles on different surfaces.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully we can play some more before we both retire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
Thompson to face Dimitrov in QF | 01:09<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The 17-year-old Russian Andreeva demolished Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-0 in the women\u2019s draw while Mpetshi Perricard downed fourth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 7-6 (7\/4) to reach the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
A year after losing to the same player at the season-opening event, Andreeva displayed her improvement over 2024 with a 63-minute romp over the Czech Republic\u2019s Noskova.<\/p>\n
The teenager faces Ons Jabeur of Tunisia next.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year she (Noskova) almost killed me in the quarter-finals so I was thinking it\u2019s time to take my revenge,\u201d Andreeva said.<\/p>\n
\n
Aussies knocked out despite Demon win | 01:05<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Russian started the year ranked 16th in the world and is tipped by many to challenge for a Grand Slam in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy number one goal for the 2025 season is to crack the top 10,\u201d said Andreeva, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.<\/p>\n
The towering Mpetshi Perricard, 21, who beat Australian Nick Kyrgios in an entertaining round-one clash, again served superbly to defeat US Open semi-finalist Tiafoe.<\/p>\n
After serving 36 aces in his three-set win over Kyrgios, the Frenchman sent down another 20 against the more experienced Tiafoe.<\/p>\n
\n
Kyrgios & Djokovic fall to No.1 seeds | 01:57<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Mpetshi Perricard plays the 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a good match, not very easy to play against Francis,\u201d Mpetshi Perricard said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first set was very tight on serve but I managed to put some pressure on his second serve and it worked.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018Almost killed me\u2019: Rising star\u2019s stunning turnaround as Djokovic hints that his days are numbered<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[92,79,99,90,82,78,97,102,74,87,101,91,84,76,81,98,89,28,80,77,95,103,85,88,93,94,83,75,100,86,96],"class_list":["post-16541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennis","tag-africa","tag-agence-france-presse","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-brisbane","tag-conchita-martinez","tag-czech-republic","tag-dominant-singles-victory","tag-eastern-europe","tag-entertaining-match","tag-entertaining-round-one-clash","tag-europe","tag-giant-american","tag-grigor-dimitrov","tag-jordan-thompson","tag-kyrgios-djokovic","tag-northern-africa","tag-novak-djokovic","tag-oceania","tag-ons-jabeur","tag-patrick-hamilton","tag-queensland","tag-rising-star","tag-russian-andreeva","tag-straight-sets-win","tag-stunning-turnaround","tag-tennis-tournament","tag-three-set-win","tag-time-offer","tag-tunisia","tag-world-number"],"yoast_head":"\n
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