The Spaniard Rafael Nadal beat the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in straight sets and qualified for the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where he will face the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, surprising winner of the German Alexander Zverev, third favorite of the tournament.
Nadal, number 5 in the world, remains unstoppable in Melbourne, where he dropped only one set in his third-round match against Russian Karen Khachanov. This Sunday he won 7-6 (14), 6-2, 6-2 in a match that led after a long 28-minute tie break in the first set.
“I was a bit lucky at the end of the tie break, I had my chances but then he also had a lot,” admitted the Spanish legend, who aspires to get his 21st title in Grand Slam tournaments to break away from the record he shares with the Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Swiss Roger Federer.
Nadal, champion 2009 in Australia, he avoided facing the German Zverev (3rd), who fell to Shapovalov (14th) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) and 6-3. “I came to Australia with the goal of winning the tournament and eventually becoming world number one. But if I play like that, I don’t deserve it. It’s as simple as that,” the German assumed self-critically after his loss.
The Spanish former number one in the ranking won the Canadian three of the four matches they played on the ATP circuit: in the 2018 and 2021 Rome Masters 1000 and in the 2019 Davis Cup finals. He only lost in the 2017 Canadian Masters.
Frenchman Gael Monfils (17th), executioner of Argentine Federico Coria in the first round, also advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3, which put an end to the “avenge” his compatriot Djokovic after his deportation from Australia for not being vaccinated against Covid-19.
Monfils, who equaled his best historical performance in Melbourne (2016), will seek the semifinals against the Italian Matteo Berrettii (7th) or the Spanish Pablo Carreño Busta (19th).
Among the women, Australian Ashleigh Barty (1st) and Czech Barbora Krejcikova (4th) continue on their way after respectively eliminating American Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-3 and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-2 .
Barty, who is looking for the first Grand Slam in her country, will have as her rival in the quarterfinals the American Jessica Pegula, winner of the Greek Maria Sakkari (5th) 7-6 (0) and 6-3; while Krejcikova, current Roland Garros champion, will face the American Madison Keys, who fired the Spanish Paula Badosa (8th) 6-3, 6-1.
