Novak Djokovic v Andrey Rublev: How to watch, Djokovic's injury, how Djokovic can get to No. 1 at Australian Open
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Published 24/01/2023 at 17:40 GMT
Novak Djokovic continues his bid for a 10th Australian Open title as he faces Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. We provide details on how to watch the match on Eurosport and discovery+, what time it's scheduled to start, the latest on Djokovic's hamstring injury, who could stop Djokovic winning the Grand Slam, and what he needs to do to return to world No. 1.
'He has nothing to lose' - Preview of Djokovic taking on Rublev in quarter-final
Novak Djokovic is three wins away from a 10th Australian Open title and a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title.
The 35-year-old is the only major champion remaining in the men's singles draw ahead of his quarter-final clash against Andrey Rublev in Melbourne.
Djokovic is playing the Grand Slam again after the furore around his deportation a year ago, and is bidding to move level with Rafael Nadal in the all-time list with 22 Grand Slam titles.
Here’s all you need to know about how to watch Djokovic’s match against Rublev, who else is left in the tournament, Djokovic’s hamstring injury status, and what he needs to do at the Grand Slam to get back to world No. 1.
How to watch Djokovic v Rublev
You can stream every moment of the 2023 Australian Open online live and on demand on discovery+.
The action is also available on Eurosport 1 - Sky channel 410, BT 435, Virgin 521 - Eurosport 2 - Sky 411, BT 436, Virgin 522 - the Eurosport App, and Eurosport.co.uk.
There will be live expert analysis from the Cube, with Mats Wilander, Barbara Schett and Tim Henman among those giving their views on matches and incidents.
All the latest news, analysis and video content can be enjoyed on Eurosport.co.uk's dedicated Australian Open page, with a dedicated hub page pulling all the content together in one place.
When is Djokovic v Rublev?
The quarter-final between Djokovic and Rublev takes place on Wednesday, January 25.
It is the first match of the night session on Rod Laver Arena which means it will not start before 8.30am GMT.
You can see the full order of play for day 10 at the Australian Open here.
How is Djokovic’s hamstring injury?
Djokovic came into the Australian Open with concerns over a hamstring injury.
He cut short a pre-tournament practice session against Daniil Medvedev because of the injury and his leg has been heavily strapped in his four matches. He appeared more bothered by the problem in his first three matches than he did when he dispatched Alex de Minaur in straight sets.
Djokovic said afterwards that he felt “fantastic” and was more confident in his chances.
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“A week ago I didn't really think about the title, I just thought about being in good enough condition to play the next match. Tonight, the way I played, the way I felt, gives me reason now to believe that I can go all the way.
“I always believe I can go all the way in terms of my tennis. But the way my leg felt before tonight wasn't giving me too many hopes, for the entire tournament.”
Djokovic’s injury could be tested against fifth seed Rublev, who beat the former world No. 1 on clay in Serbia last summer.
How can Djokovic get back to world No. 1 at the Australian Open?
Three man have a chance of being world No. 1 after the Australian Open: Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas and current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
The equation is simple: Djokovic and Tsitsipas both need to win the title to get to No. 1.
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If they don’t then Alcaraz will remain at the top of the rankings.
Djokovic has spent a record 373 weeks at world No. 1 and last held the spot in June 2022. Tsitsipas has never been world No. 1, while Alcaraz took over after winning the 2022 US Open.
Who could stop Djokovic winning the Australian Open?
If Djokovic gets past Rublev then he would face an unseeded American in the semi-finals, either Tommy Paul or Ben Shelton.
Djokovic has not played either Paul or Shelton on tour before.
On the other side of the draw, Tsitsipas and 18th seed Karen Khachanov meet in the semi-finals.
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Djokovic has a 10-2 win-loss record against Tsitsipas and hasn’t lost to him since 2019. He also beat him in the final of the 2021 French Open.
Djokovic also has a very strong record against Khachanov, winning eight of nine meetings, including in Paris in November 2022.
Henman wowed by Djokovic’s ‘statement win’
Djokovic’s display against De Minaur in the fourth round caught the eye.
Djokovic himself said it was “almost flawless”, De Minaur said his opponent was on “another level”, while the watching Nick Kyrgios was also impressed.
“For me it was a statement performance and a statement victory,” said Eurosport expert Henman.
“We’ve seen in both the men’s and women’s singles there have been so many upsets. The top two seeds have gone out of both draws for the first time in the Open era, and I think he is the clear favourite.
“There have been question marks, mainly around his leg and his physicality, but to see him go out against De Minaur in front of his home crowd, and just destroy him - it wasn’t through lack of effort, De Minaur tried from the first ball to the last, but, Djokovic was just simply too good.
"Going into the quarter-finals, for me, he’s the clear favourite.”
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Stream the 2023 Australian Open live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk
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