“Mentally, I think you have to accept that I came to the match knowing that I will probably be in pain at all times, which was the case,” Djokovic told reporters after the victory. “But the level of pain was bearable, so I was able to play for real and it was happening a little bit during the match.
“But somehow I managed to find a way to win and that is what matters most. Now I have another 40 hours or so until the next match, which is great for grand slams.
“The medical team told me it’s a gamble while I’m on the court. It can do a lot more damage, but it can go in a good direction. I won’t know until I stop taking painkillers, they kind of hide what is really going on. a break later. “
Roger Federer is the only man to reach the 300 Grand Slams winning mark, taking the lead with 362. Rafael Nadal is third with 285.
It is the 12th time in the last 14 years that Djokovic has reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the next for the champion eight times is the German Alex Zverev.
Third seed Dominic Thiem was a surprise loser on Friday, beating Grigor Dimitrov in two sets. The Austrian, who won his first grand slam title at the United States Open last year, fought home favorite Nick Kyrgios on Friday after two sets, but it looked like that five-set epic had him physically and mentally exhausted.
Dimitrov will face Russian Aslan Karatsev, a surprise in the quarterfinals, for a place between the semifinals.