Novak Djokovic wins his third-round match with aplomb - but one scene casts a shadow: an uncontrolled shot after a rally missed a ball girl by just a few centimeters.
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- Novak Djokovic caused a stir in the third round match of the Australian Open with an almost ball girl hit, but remained without a penalty despite the unsportsmanlike action.
- The Serb won the match against Botic van de Zandschulp in three sets and celebrated (his) historic 400th victory at a Grand Slam tournament.
- After the match, Djokovic had fighting words for his rivals Alcaraz and Sinner. He will face Jakub Mensik in the next round.
Novak Djokovic has to play Botic van de Zandschulp in the 3rd round of the Australian Open. The 38-year-old, the record ten-time winner in Melbourne, takes the opening set against his opponent, who is eight years his junior, 6:3.
The world number 4 also leads with a break in the second set, but the Serb still struggles with his game. At 4:2 for Djokovic, van de Zandschulp has the advantage, but his backhand is too long. But Nole hits the ball anyway - and narrowly misses a ball girl with his powerful forehand. Surprisingly, the long-standing number 1 receives no reprimand from the umpire for his unsportsmanlike action. So Djokovic also takes the second set 6:4.
At the start of the third set, Djokovic twists his ankle and loses his rhythm a little. In the end, however, he saves the victory in the tie-break (7:4). It was Djokovic's 400th victory at a Grand Slam tournament. No other tennis player had achieved this before him. It was Djokovic's 102nd win in Melbourne - only Roger Federer has managed that many so far.
Nole says sorry - near-incident brings back memories
Novak Djokovic at the press conference about his action: "I apologize for that. It wasn't necessary. In the heat of the moment I ... Yes, I was lucky. I'm sorry that I caused the ball kid any inconvenience."
The unpleasant scene was reminiscent of the 2020 US Open, when Djokovic (unintentionally) shot a lineswoman and was disqualified. The Serbian still has to put up with the accusation that he sometimes can't control himself. At least he was spared that fate this time.
After his victory against van de Zandschulp, Djokovic made a small challenge to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are currently dominating the tennis scene. "I'll give these guys a run for their money. I'm still here. Alcaraz and Sinner are the best players in the world. But when you step on the court and the ball is rolling, anything can happen," emphasized Djokovic, who will face the young Czech Jakub Mensik (ATP 16) in the next round.
