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The Adelaide 1 ATP 250 tournament enters its final stretch. Four players have reached the quarterfinals of the Australian test today. They are Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov, Alexei Popyrin and Yoshihito Nishioka. The first two will organize an interesting Russian derby to reach the first semifinals in 2023.
On the night from Wednesday to Thursday it will be the turn of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner again. The Serbian champion will have to wait until the match between Denis Shapovalov and Roman Safiullin, before facing Quentin Halys on Center Court.
The Belgrade player, in case of victory, could face Shapovalov himself in the quarterfinals. Djokovic defeated and convinced in his debut against Constant Lestienne and will face Halys for the second time in his career. The first meeting took place at the Australian Open in 2016 and saw the Serb emerge victorious in three sets.
After Djokovic's match, the women's circuit will take to the court with the WTA 500 test. Victoria Azarenka and Qinwen Zheng will compete on Center Court. Sinner will play his match against Thanasi Kokkinakis also on Center Court.
The Australian won his first tournament on the big circuit last year in Adelaide and he won't be an easy opponent to beat. The man from South Tyrol, for his part, dominated Kyle Edmund in his debut and showed that he can now compete to the fullest of his potential after the hand problem that forced him to be absent from the Davis Cup in the last round of 2022.
Djokovic has big goals
Novak Djokovic confirmed the same in a press conference, stating that his offer for a match with Kyrgios was accepted - but on one condition. "Well, we are talking with the Australian Open about doing something in a week prior to the start of the tournament.
Yes, I chatted with Nick, and I would like to play with him, and he accepted, but he wants shorter sets. Let's see if that works out," he revealed. "I wasn't his favorite guy - let's take it that way - for many years. But he was one of the very few that stood by me last year, and I respect that and appreciate that.
In those moments you can actually see who truly supports you and who is by your side and who goes with, I guess, the flow of the society and the pressures that media puts on you," he said.