Novak Djokovic has continued his extraordinary dominance of Gael Monfils to move into the Brisbane International quarter-finals.
Djokovic took his head-to-head ATP Tour record over the Frenchman to 20-0 in a 6-3 6-3 win in 72 minutes at Pat Rafter Arena on Thursday night to set up a last eight showdown on Friday with American giant Reilly Opelka.
Djokovic, 37, has owned Monfils for 20 years, since he beat him in the first round of the US Open in 2005. His head-to-head record is the most lopsided in ATP Tour history.
Opelka, who was Nick Kyrgios’s practice partner in the lead-up to the Brisbane tournament, is the tallest player on the ATP Tour at 211cm. The 27-year-old advanced to the quarter finals with a 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (7-4) win over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.
Someone watching Djokovic and Monfils for the first time would have thought there was nothing but a struck match between the pair. The champion Serbian won because he dominated the big moments.
In the third game of the first set Monfils had a break point. Djokovic served an ace and served it out courtesy of a drop shot gone wrong by the Frenchman.
The next game Djokovic broke his opponent who made multiple unforced errors.
Djokovic went behind 15-30 when serving for the set but fought back to win the game with a sensational serve and volley.
The second set was deja vu. Monfils threatened but in the third game failed to win a point on serve as his opponent went in for the kill.
Dojokovic, with 24 grand slams under his belt, explained why he was so driven to start 2025 with what would be his 100th ATP Tour win.
"I have never won the Brisbane International," he said.
"Hopefully this is the year. That is why I am here."
The maestro looked forward to his first ever showdown with Opelka.
"(He) has incredible strength and power and is great guy off the court. We get along very well," he said.
"My gosh, I am going to have to probably take a few steps back for that first serve."
He was also generous in his praise of Monfils.
"I've had a good score against him over the years. We've had some incredible battles and he is one of the best, if not the best, athlete in our sport that I have seen," Djokovic said.
Meanwhile fourth seed Frances Tiafoe was sent packing after a shock 6-4 7-6 (7-4) defeat to big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Mpetshi Perricard announced himself to Australian fans two days earlier when he knocked out Nick Kyrgios in a three-set thriller.
The 21-year-old, who stands at 203cm, started Thursday's round of 16 match against Tiafoe with four consecutive aces, including a 232km/h bullet.
The world No.31 ended the contest with 20 aces to his name in a stunning display of power.
"I mean I was very warm after this one. I didn't see the speed after the serve, but it was very fast," Mpetshi Perricard said of his 232km/h rocket.
Mpetshi Perricard took the first set in 35 minutes, and had a match point on Tiafoe's serve in the second set.
The world No.18 managed to get out of that pickle, but Mpetshi Perricard dominated the second-set tiebreaker on the way to securing victory in 92 minutes.
Mpetshi Perricard will face world No.48 Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals.
Mensik secured his spot in the last eight with a 6-3 6-2 win over Dusan Lajovic.
