Djokovic dominates De Minaur, Advances to Quarter-finals in Australian Open, sends a warning to the competition

- World Soccer Today -

Novak Djokovic easily defeated Alex de Minaur in the Australian Open, winning in straight sets and losing only five games. 

He showed few signs of his previous hamstring injury and is now moving closer to winning his 10th title at Melbourne Park and his 22nd major crown. 

He will now face Andrey Rublev for a spot in the semifinals. 

Djokovic has not lost in Melbourne since 2018 and has now won 25 consecutive matches at the Australian Open. 

He had control of the match from the start, breaking de Minaur's serve early on and maintaining his dominance throughout.

Djokovic's victory puts him into his 13th Melbourne quarter-final, making him the fourth player on the all-time list behind Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and John Newcombe. 

He has now reached his 54th Grand Slam quarter-final in total, second only to the retired Federer's 58. 

De Minaur, who had previously recorded his first victory against a top-five player in November when he beat Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Masters, was unable to match Djokovic's dominance. 

Djokovic's first serve percentage was much higher than de Minaur's, with 76% of his first serves going in compared to de Minaur's 54%. 

The winners were also heavily in favor of Djokovic, with the final count being 9-1. 

Despite de Minaur's efforts, Djokovic's superior skill and experience allowed him to easily advance to the quarter-finals.

Djokovic's win also means that if he wins the tournament, he will return to the world number one ranking for the first time since June. 

He has set his sights on Rafael Nadal's record for Grand Slam titles and moving closer to winning his 10th title at Melbourne Park and 22nd major crown is a significant step towards achieving that goal. 

His next match against fifth seed Andrey Rublev will be a big test for him as Rublev defeated Danish teenager Holger Rune in a tough five-set match on the same court. 

Djokovic will have to be at his best if he wants to secure a spot in the semifinals and continue his quest for another title.