Novak Djokovic advances to Australian Open quarterfinals following withdrawal of fourth-round rival Jakub Mensik.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic has progressed to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open without competing in his fourth-round match, as his scheduled opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew due to an abdominal injury.
Mensik, the 16th seed at Melbourne Park, defeated American Ethan Quinn on Saturday evening to set up a match against the 24-time major champion Djokovic. The two were slated to meet at Rod Laver Arena on Monday evening, but a day prior, Mensik announced he was unable to compete.
“This is a difficult message to convey,” Mensik posted on Instagram. “After exhausting all options to continue, I must withdraw from the Australian Open due to an abdominal muscle injury that has worsened over the last few matches.”
“After extensive discussions with my team and medical staff, we concluded that I should not take the court tomorrow.”
“While I am disappointed, reaching the fourth round here for the first time is an achievement I will cherish for a long time. Now it’s time to focus on proper recovery.”
Djokovic, who triumphed over Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp in his third-round encounter, will benefit from an additional 48 hours of rest before facing either Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti or American Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals.
Mensik is the second player in 24 hours to withdraw from the tournament due to an abdominal injury. On the seventh night, two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from her third-round match against Australia’s Maddison Inglis after experiencing the same injury in her prior match.
Source: espn.com
