The five-time champion had just beaten 19-year-old French wild-card entry Quentin Halys 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the second round on Wednesday night – his 34th win in his last 35 matches at Melbourne Park – when his news conference veered to questions about the issue that has overshadowed the start of the season’s first major.
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In the women’s category, Serena Williams was still in demolition mode as she beat Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei 6-1 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena, to keep alive her hope for a 7th Australian trophy.
The No. 1-ranked Djokovic started another Melbourne streak past year when he won a fifth Australian Open title, and he extended his winning streak to eight matches with a first-round win over Chung Hyeon on Monday.
The 17-time major victor admits that he is pleased with his current form and he has now met his minimum requirement by reaching the last 32 of the competition.
“I thought today I did serve very well”, said Federer who didn’t face a single break point. “So that’s why, for me, it’s quite obvious that it’s not going to happen”, he said after to reach the third round at the Australian Open for the 17th straight year.
Nishikori eased past Austin Krajicek 6-3 7-6 (7/5) 6-3, Berdych knocked out Mirza Basic 6-4 6-0 6-3 while Kyrgios battled to a 6-4 7-5 7-6 (7/2) win over Pablo Cuevas.
“I think it’s 40 years on the tennis tour that doesn’t excite me, you know, straight”, he said, while laughing when asked to clarify an on-court statement he made about not wanting to watch his daughters play on Rod Laver Arena.
Dimitrov remains an unfinished masterpiece and he may never refine his game to the point that his talent deserves, but he is invariably risky. “He’s fit enough for a five-setter, so, yeah, I mean, [got to] definitely bring my best game to the court”.
Roger Federer will go down in history as one of the greatest players in professional tennis history.
Roger Federer hopes to erase his shock defeat in last year’s Australian Open third round as he set up a last-32 showdown with Grigor Dimitrov – the Bulgarian once dubbed “Baby Fed”.
“I know him very well”.
“I will support them all the way, whatever they want to do, but I don’t see myself doing that right now”.
Throughout the match the players would frequently descend into lengthy exchanges at the baseline which would bind the crowd into a trance, simply mesmerised by the quality of the tennis on show.
Dimitrov picked up his own intensity in the second set.
“Didn’t feel like it was happening for me out there, the footwork didn’t feel great”. “I said everything I needed to say two days ago”.
Maria Sharapova steadied herself and overcame a feisty opponent to beat American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-0 to reach the fourth round.
“I think he deserves a lot of respect for the amounts of years that he spent in top 30”. But he would rather they played another sport.
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Agnieszka Radwanska also thrashed Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, 6-4, 6-2.
