The last eight of the Australian Open is finally complete, and it seems that fans in Melbourne will now be treated to yet another edition of a master class showdown as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will be coming in for another fiery clash that everyone would not want to miss as these two power stars collide on the big stage.

Carlos Alcaraz’s bid to become the ATP Tour’s youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam remains alive and well with his sweeping win against Jack Draper, who retired in two sets. Alcaraz had the lead before Draper revealed that he’s been managing tendinitis in his hip for most of the week, allowing Alcaraz to push forward.

On the other hand, Novak Djokovic plowed through Jiri Lehecka in the Rod Laver Arena as he clinched a 6-3, 6-4, and 7-6 win in two hours and 39 minutes to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals. He now ties Roger Federer’s record of 15 runs to a men’s singles quarterfinals at the hard court major alone. Djokovic did not hold back as he dominated the game and showed no signs of slowing down.

Alacaraz On the Climb

Carlos Alcaraz now enters his 10th Grand Slam quarterfinal with the hopes of settling a score against Djokovic. The star finished the game and equalled the Open Era record for the most Grand Slam quarter-finals reached by a man aged 21 or under. At this point, Alcaraz looks to add the Australian Open to his list of major titles won after he’s already secured wins in the other three.

"I am just happy with the level that I’m playing on the court,” reflected Alcaraz. “Off the court I’m feeling really comfortable here in Australia. I think it’s pretty good. Physically I’m feeling great so coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it’s really important to feel well physically because right now the matches are even tougher. I’m just ready. I think I’m doing great things off the court as well.

Alcaraz has been really efficient in his games. He’s managed to come up with with some promising selection in his shots and has high hopes that he would be able to go deeper into the competition now more than ever.

Masterclass from Djokovic

Djokovic had to brush off some rust in his game. Like he did in his clash with Tomas Machac, the 37-year-old had to dominate the baseline and overwhelm Lehecka in the key moments of the game, producing 21 unforced errors in the match compared to the latter’s 44. It was a rock solid display, and he did not hold back.

“I felt great,” Djokovic told Eurosport after the match. “A couple of hiccups here and there, a loose game after I broke his serve in the third. After that I had chances to break him, but every time I had an opportunity to break him, he would serve big. Just very powerful and precise. Obviously a little bit of a different opponent compared to my last-round opponent, but there were quite a few similarities, with a flat backhand and quite an aggressive style. I think I handled the pressure moments well and played some great points towards the end.”

His run comes off as a result of bringing in Andy Murray as his coach, but he’s also keen to win his first tournament after going off winless in the 2024 Tour, aside from the gold medal finish in the Olympics.