4th seed Novak Djokovic takes on 5th seed Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open on Wednesday.
The Serbian legend has been exemplary in the tournament and has made his return to Melbourne Park memorable so far. Djokovic is being touted as the favorite to win the title and a left hamstring injury has not been able to stop the warrior.
In the first round, Djokovic edged past Roberto Carballes Baena in a one-sided encounter that ended in straight sets. Djokovic followed it up with another comprehensive performance against Enzo Couacaud in the second round. The former won in four sets 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-0. The 21-time Grand Slam champion went on to win his next two matches in straight sets. In the third round, Djokovic got the better of Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (9-7), 6-3, 6-4. He produced a flawless performance against 22nd seed Alex de Minaur in the fourth round and won the match 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.
The Russian lost both matches he played this season before coming to play in the Australian Open. However, he has peaked at this tournament with some fine performances.
Rublev started his campaign with a comfortable win against Dominic Thiem in the first round. The 25-year-old went on to beat Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round in four sets 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (7-2), 6-3. In the third round, Rublev hardly had to break a sweat when he triumphed over 25th seed Dan Evans. The match ended in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. In the fourth round, Rublev got the better of 9th seed Holger Rune in a five-set thriller 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9).
The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 2-1 in favor of the former world No. 1. Djokovic defeated Rublev in their most recent encounter in the group stage of the 2022 ATP Finals.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in four sets.
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