Djokovic Defeats Monfils To Qualify For Brisbane Quarter-final

Novak Djokovic defeated Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Brisbane International quarterfinals.

The Serb produced a dominant performance to extend his winning run against Monfils, French, to 20 matches, nearly two decades after their first clash in the opening round of the 2005 US Open.

The 37-year-old, who is looking to join Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109) as players who have won at least 100 titles.

Djokovic will be gunning for an 11th Australian Open title when the season’s first Grand Slam begins later this month.

He said: “We’ve been playing for many years, I’ve known Gael since I was 15. We played quite a bit at juniors and on Tour and have had a good score against him, but we have had some incredible battles. He’s one of the best, if not the best, athlete in our sport over the years.”

Djokovic will take on Reilly Opelka in the quarter-finals after the American defeated Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (9), 7-6 (4).

In the women’s event, reigning US Open and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka endured a hard-earned 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur defeated Armenia’s Elina Avanesyan 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 to reach her first tour quarterfinal since the Berlin Open in June.

It was the end of the road for third seed Daria Kasatkina, who fell to a 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 defeat against fellow Russian Polina Kudermetova, while their compatriot Mirra Andreeva eased past Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-0.

Double Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka also crashed out after the Belarusian was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Czech Marie Bouzkova.

Djokovic Defeats Monfils To Qualify For Brisbane Quarter-final is first published on The Whistler Newspaper