Novak Djokovic kept his dream of winning his 100th ATP title alive with a solid 6-3, 6-3 victory over Gael Monfils in the Brisbane International last 16. The 37-year-old Serb will now face American Reilly Opelka, who won 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-4) against Matteo Arnaldi.
Djokovic broke Monfils early in both sets, winning the first one in just 36 minutes. Monfils struggled, missing a forehand on serve at 1-1 in the second set, allowing Djokovic to take control and close out the match.
With this win, Djokovic now has 20 career victories over Monfils. He will face Opelka in the quarter-finals, and it will be their first meeting. Djokovic knows he’ll need to adjust his game to deal with Opelka’s strong serving, especially since Opelka hit 25 aces against Arnaldi.
“Opelka has struggled with injuries, but now he’s playing well. I’ll have to prepare for his big serves,” said Djokovic.
