Djokovic, Sabalenka into Brisbane quarters; Swiatek powers Poland to United Cup semis

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were in ominous form ahead of the Australian Open as both powered into the Brisbane International quarter-finals on Thursday.

On a day when rising stars Mirra Andreeva and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard underlined their potential, Djokovic cruised past fellow veteran Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 in 72 minutes.

In the women’s draw, world number one Sabalenka -- who is aiming to win the Australian Open for the third time in a row -- beat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

Djokovic and Monfils played an entertaining match, but the 37-year-old Serb was always in control as he notched his 20th straight win over the Frenchman.

Former world number one Djokovic plays giant American Reilly Opelka in the last eight.

“We’ve been playing a long time, I’ve known Gael since I was 15 and he was 16,” said Djokovic, who is pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title when the Australian Open begins on Jan.12.

“I’ve had a good score against him over the years but we’ve had some incredible battles on different surfaces.

“Hopefully we can play some more before we both retire.”

The 17-year-old Russian Andreeva demolished Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-0 in the women’s draw while Mpetshi Perricard downed fourth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the quarter-finals.

A year after losing to the same player at the season-opening event, Andreeva displayed her improvement over 2024 with a 63-minute romp over the Czech Republic’s Noskova.

The teenager faces Ons Jabeur of Tunisia next.

“Last year she (Noskova) almost killed me in the quarter-finals so I was thinking it’s time to take my revenge,” Andreeva said.

The Russian started the year ranked 16th in the world and is tipped by many to challenge for a Grand Slam in 2025.

“My number one goal for the 2025 season is to crack the top 10,” said Andreeva, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.

The towering Mpetshi Perricard, 21, who beat Australian Nick Kyrgios in an entertaining round-one clash, again served superbly to defeat US Open semi-finalist Tiafoe.

After serving 36 aces in his three-set win over Kyrgios, the Frenchman sent down another 20 against the more experienced Tiafoe.

Mpetshi Perricard plays the 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik.

“It was a good match, not very easy to play against Francis,” Mpetshi Perricard said.

“The first set was very tight on serve but I managed to put some pressure on his second serve and it worked.”

Swiatek downs Boulter: Battling Iga Swiatek took Poland into a United Cup semi-final against Kazakhstan as last year’s runners-up beat Britain in the mixed-teams tournament on Thursday.

The five-time Grand Slam champion and world number two Swiatek fought back to beat Katie Boulter 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4 and give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the quarter-final in Sydney.

With the Australian Open just over a week away, Swiatek has now won all three of her singles matches at the United Cup to launch her season.

“I am just exhausted,” Swiatek, who required a medical timeout in the deciding set and had strapping on one thigh, said after prevailing in just under three hours.

“This match was crazy, so many changes in momentum.”

A relieved Swiatek added: “I took four pain killers, a lot hurt, but happy we won.”

It was a first-ever meeting between Swiatek and Boulter, who is ranked 24 in the world, but they did practise together before the United Cup.

Swiatek, at her first event since news broke in late November that she served a one-month ban for a doping violation, roared back in the second set after Boulter won a tight first.

The former number one Swiatek took a medical timeout at 2-1 down in the final set as the duo went toe-to-toe in a tense encounter.

Swiatek, 23, finally wrapped it up on first match point when Boulter fired into the net, before running over to the rest of the Poland team courtside.

Agence France-Presse