MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic advanced to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after his fourth-round opponent, Jakub Mensik, withdrew with an abdominal injury on Sunday, a day before they were scheduled to face off at Melbourne Park.
Czech 16th seed Mensik came through a tight third-round clash against American Ethan Quinn with a 6-2, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) win on Saturday, but the 20-year-old said he had been carrying an injury that prevented him from facing his mentor Djokovic.
Djokovic, the 10-times Australian Open champion, will now continue his quest for a record-extending Melbourne Park title and a standalone 25th Grand Slam crown to break the tie with Margaret Court.