"I really wanted to lose that game in the third set" - Novak Djokovic on his unorthodox way of handling tension during 2024 Australian Open 4R win

Novak Djokovic found a novel way to bring down the tension in the stadium during his fourth-round match against Adrian Mannarino at the 2024 Australian Open.

Mannarino came into the match against Djokovic on the back of three consecutive five-set wins. However, his hopes of playing another marathon match at Melbourne Park were dashed very quickly by Djokovic.

The World No. 1 put in a flawless performance to win the first 13 games of the match. With a double bagel in the bag, fans inside the Rod Laver Arena seemed optimistically anxious to see Djokovic win the third set 6-0 too.

Djokovic, in his post-match on-court interview, said that he wanted to lose a game or two amid the rising tension, in order to ensure he could refocus on the match.

"The first two sets, one of the best sets I played in a while. And I really wanted to lose that game in the third set because the tension was building up so much in the stadium. I just needed to get that one out of the way so I can refocus on what I need to do to close out the match," he said.

"I mean, you always want to be efficient, right? You always want to finish the job is as soon as possible in the straight set, but not always possible," he added.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion also expressed satisfaction with his performance against Mannarino.

"I played great from the first to the last point. I had to, in a way, physically endure the long rallies and try to run him around the court, which I did. And I think I served very well in the moments when I needed to come up with the first serve I did so. All in all, great performance," he added.

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Novak Djokovic: "I'm really, really pleased with where I am at the moment"

Novak Djokovic in action at the 2024 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic did not get his 2024 Australian Open underway in his usual dominant fashion. He began with a hard-fought win against 18-year-old Dino Prizmic and followed it up with another tough contest, beating home favorite Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3.

After the match against Popyrin, Djokovic said that he was looking to find his best form as he went deeper into the tournament.

"I sincerely hope so [that I get better on the court], that's what it’s going to take for me to go deep in the tournament. I haven't been playing my best, I've been still trying to find a form. Hopefully, I'll be able to build this as tournament progresses," he said.

But after his one-hour 44-minute demolition of Adrian Mannarino, Djokovic said it was his best performance of the fortnight. He added that he was finding his best form as he went into the business end of the tournament.

"I have to say yes [this was my best performance this year], obviously," he said. "The last couple days has been really good. It's going into positive direction health-wise, tennis-wise. So I'm really, really pleased with where I am at the moment."

Djokovic will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open.