Tomás Martín Etcheverry
said goodbye to the
Australian Open
with very good feelings after his participation in the first Grand Slam of the season.
He achieved two resounding victories against two historical figures like Andy Murray and Gael Monfils and, despite not having been able to make
Novak Djokovic
uncomfortable in his third round match, he exhibited a high level of play against the lord and master of this tournament by losing by 6 -3, 6-3 and 7-6 (2).
Nole had anticipated the growth of the Argentine tennis player.
"He is playing
the best tennis of his life
on hard courts. I am aware that I must be very prepared for a difficult match," he said at the press conference prior to this Friday's match, while highlighting his human quality.
And, by greeting each other online with a loving hug, they showed that respect is mutual.
Complicit smiles between Etcheverry and Djokovic, whom the Argentine confessed to having as an idol.
“I have followed him since I was very young.
I was born and raised watching him play and win.
Since I picked up a racket for the first time he was already on top," he said in an interview last year.
He faced his idol at the Masters 1000 in Rome and Paris in 2023 and now they met for the third time.
When speaking with Alejandro Klappenbach, for ESPN, Tomy was full of praise for the Serbian: "It is difficult to counteract him because
all the balls go close to the lines
. What he proposes is complex. That is why he is number one, but well, It's part of learning."
What Novak Djokovic played 🔝
6-3 6-3 7-6 against Tomás Etcheverry to advance to 4R of the Australian Open.
4 games away from continuing to make history.pic.twitter.com/zrbn4H7bU7
— Tennis Time (@Tiempodetenis1) January 19, 2024
"I had a bad
game
with my serve when he broke me, also in the second he broke me quickly and the games were very difficult for me
of return.
I didn't even have a break point
,"
he analyzed, highlighting that as one of the keys to the defeat.
"In the third I raised my level, I played at a much higher intensity, but
in the
tie break
he didn't give me a chance.
He played his best tennis, I couldn't counteract him and that's why he ended up winning the match,
but it was another match in the third set,"
he added later.
Etcheverry, surrendered to his idol.
Photo: Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP.
Along the same lines, when speaking with former Australian tennis player John Fitzgerald still on the cement of the Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic made a similar analysis.
"He raised his level in the third set, but
I was able to get my best shots
to take the match," he commented, while describing this
match
as the best of the tournament so far for him.
Then, the champion of 24 Grand Slams, who this Friday reached 100 matches played in the main draw of the Australian Open (record 92-8), once again recognized the work of the 24-year-old from La Plata.
"It was a very good performance for me. I played with Tomás, who had just beaten Murray and Monfils in straight sets, so he was playing very well. I served well, I tried to stay aggressive when the opportunity presented itself and I did well, especially in the first sets," he explained.
What's coming to Djokovic
When everything seemed to indicate that an attractive Djokovic-Shelton was coming in the round of 16,
Adrian Mannarino
appeared in the path of the young American and eliminated him after a battle of four hours and 46 minutes that was defined by 7-6, 1- 6, 6-7, 6-3 and 6-3.
Thus, the experienced Frenchman
will be the Balkan's rival in the next instance.
Then, if he continues to advance, he would face the winner of the clash between Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals and
in the semis a new matchup with Jannik Sinner is projected, the one that all tennis fans are waiting for
.
The Italian, who swept Sebasitán Báez, will first have to beat Karen Khachanov and then Andrey Rublev or Alex De Miñaur, a far from easy task.
And at the bottom of the draw the great candidate is
Carlos Alcaraz,
although both
Daniil Medvedev
and
Alexander Zverev
threaten to stop his path, while a
Grigor Dimitrov
who has just become champion in Brisbane also promises to give something to talk about.