"The way I played, I don't mind playing in the day" - Novak Djokovic answers day/night matches scheduling debate with emphatic Australian Open 4R win

Amidst debate about the match schedule at the 2024 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic showed that he can find his groove irrespective of what time of the day he plays.

On Sunday, January 21, Djokovic showed signs of reaching his best form during his fourth-round contest against Adrian Mannarino at Rod Laver Arena. He put in a flawless performance to win 6-0, 6-0, 6-3 in one hour and 44 minutes, and reach the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Major.

Over the last week, there has been a lot of talk about the scheduling of matches at Melbourne Park, with the debate intensifying after Daniil Medvedev's second-round match against Emil Ruusuvuori ended at 3:40 a.m. local time.

While Djokovic has always stated that he prefers playing late in the day owing to the stadiums being packed with fans, he joked that he doesn't mind playing early in the day right now going by his performance against Mannarino.

"The way I played today, I don't mind playing in the day to be honest," he said with a smile.

"Thank you. Thank you guys for showing up also. I know it's maybe early in the day but it's Sunday, not a working day. So thank you everyone for showing up. It's great to see you back in the arena. It's beautiful to see that. Yeah. It's no secret, I love to play at 7 pm but it wasn't bad at all today. Not too bad, today," he added.

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Novak Djokovic to face Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic in action at the 2024 Australian Open

Following his win against Adrian Mannarino, Novak Djokovic will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open.

The Serbian leads Tsitsipas 11-2 (win-loss record) in the head-to-head. The two last faced each other in the title match of the Melbourne Major in 2023, where Djokovic won 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

Fritz, on the other hand, has never won a match against the World No. 1 in eight meetings. They last locked horns in the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open, where Djokovic won 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 en route to clinching the title.

When asked about his thoughts on facing Tsitsipas or Fritz next, the 36-year-old joked that their fourth-round match should be a five-setter and gets played over two days.

"Hopefully they go to five sets over six hours and with some rain interruptions and light malfunction and roof whatever. So they can continue tomorrow," he said with a smile.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion, on a more serious note, said that he will be ready to face anyone in the quarterfinals as there are no easy matches in the business end of Majors.

"We know Stefanos and I played finals here last year. He had a great tournament, he's been established top five, top 10 player for many years now. Very experienced at playing on a big stage. He's got a complete game. Very focused, a great player, no doubt. On the other hand, you have Taylor Frit. Let's see, they're battling it out right now," he said.

"I mean obviously, it's going to be a tough one. There are no easy matches now, so I'm gonna have to be ready for a battle, whoever it is across the net," he added.