Every season counts now, says Djokovic as he enters last 16

An ailing Novak Djokovic said yesterday every moment counted now that he was in the "last stage” of his career, after battling past Grigor Dimitrov and into the Australian Open last 16.The Serb came through a titanic 77-minute first set before taming the Bulgarian 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena, needing treatment twice on his troublesome hamstring. He will face home hope Alex de Minaur for a place in the quarter-finals after the 22nd seed defeated Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in three sets.Djokovic’s gutsy win inched him nearer to a 10th Australian Open title and record-tying 22 Grand Slam crowns. Winning once again in Melbourne would also return him to world number one for the first time since June. Now 35, Djokovic said he was savouring each tournament more."Every season counts I guess now, when you come to the last stage, the last quarter, of your career,” he said."Obviously you start appreciating and valuing each tournament more because you might not have a lot left in the tank. I’ve been truly fortunate to do what I love, I love the sport, I love competing. It’s been almost 20 years now of professional sport. I can’t be more grateful than I am.”Victory put Djokovic into the last 16 for a 15th time but he was made to work for it, especially with his left hamstring troubling him. "It kind of always starts well in last few matches, including this one, and then some movement happens and then it gets worse,” he said. "Pills kick in, some hot cream and stuff. That works for a little bit, then it doesn’t, then works again. It’s really a rollercoaster, honestly. I’ll take it match by match. I don’t know what awaits, but I do hope and I have faith for the best.”Djokovic aggravated his hamstring during his run to a 92nd title at the Adelaide International this month and has been struggling with it since.Djokovic came into the match without his usual off-day practice session to give his leg as much time as possible to recover. With his left thigh heavily strapped, the Serb broke immediately and consolidated to take an early grip on the first set. He was cruising but appeared to feel the injury when moving for a shot at 5-3. He managed to earn three set points, which were saved, but was then broken when serving for the set at 5-4. Agitated, he complained to the umpire about being given a time violation and was then forced to save two set points, before an epic tiebreak.He eventually got over the line on his fifth set point after some intense tennis.Djokovic took a medical timeout at the changeover and returned to dial up the pressure and take a break before comfortably seeing out the second set. With Dimitrov flagging, he turned the screws further by breaking twice early in set three.Despite a mid-set wobble when the Bulgarian clawed back and then more treatment on his leg, Djokovic battled to the finish line. De Minaur, who is aiming for a first quarter-final at Melbourne Park, now awaits Djokovic after a 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-1 victory."These are the matches you want to be playing,” said the Australian.Djokovic’s fellow 35-year-old Murray will not join him in the next round, however, as the Briton’s 4:05am finish eventually caught up with him.Former number one Murray was clearly feeling the effects of his epic five-setter in round two, which started on Thursday but ended in the early hours of Friday.The 24th-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut won 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-4 and faces unseeded Tommy Paul of the United States. "I gave everything that I had the last three matches - I’m very proud of that,” said Murray."But I’m also disappointed because I put loads of work into the beginning of this year and was playing well enough to have a really good run, have a deep run.”Also in the men’s draw, fifth seed Andrey Rublev surged into a clash with Holger Rune - then thanked his beaten opponent Dan Evans for giving him a banana mid-match.The Russian crushed the Briton 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to make the fourth round for a third time. He will face Danish teenager Rune for a place in the quarter-finals after the ninth seed survived a nasty fall to sweep past unseeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).In two all-American matches, Jeffrey Wolf strolled past Michael Mmoh in three sets while Paul made equally light work of Jenson Brooksby.Meanwhile hard-hitting Aryna Sabalenka burnished her title credentials as she barrelled through, along with several other women’s seeds. The Belarusian fifth seed blew away 26th-seeded Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-3 to set up a clash with Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.Thirtieth seed Karolina Pliskova and 23rd seed Zhang Shuai also went through in straight sets on day six at Melbourne Park, and will clash in the fourth round.Sabalenka is trying not to get carried away. The Minsk-born 24-year-old teased the Margaret Court Arena crowd for supporting Belgium’s Mertens over her, but said she was enjoying the ride into the second week."About the favourite, that I am on that favourite list... I mean, it’s really good that I’m there,” said the Belarusian, who is yet to drop a set. But I better focus on myself, on my game, make sure that my dream will happen.”Bencic has also not dropped a set in Melbourne. The Swiss 12th seed eased past unseeded Italian Camila Giorgi 6-2, 7-5. Also into the fourth round is the 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova, who beat her fellow Czech Marketa Vondrousova in three sets. She faces Donna Vekic of Croatia. French fourth seed Caroline Garcia fought back after a disastrous first set to beat world number 158 Laura Siegemund 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.RESULTSMen’s 3rd round: Andrey Rublev (RUS x5) bt Daniel Evans (GBR x25) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3Holger Rune (DEN x9) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)Alex De Minaur (AUS x22) bt Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-1Novak Djokovic (SRB x4) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x27) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-4Ben Shelton (USA) bt Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4Jeffrey Wolf (USA) bt Michael Mmoh (USA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x24) bt Andy Murray (GBR) 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-4Tommy Paul (USA) bt Jenson Brooksby (USA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.Women’s 3rd round: Karolina Pliskova (CZE x30) bt Varvara Gracheva (RUS) 6-4, 6-2Zhang Shuai (CHN x23) bt Katie Volynets (USA) 6-3, 6-2Magda Linette (POL) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x19) 6-3, 6-4Caroline Garcia (FRA x4) bt Laura Siegemund (GER) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x5) bt Elise Mertens (BEL x26) 6-2, 6-3Belinda Bencic (SUI x12) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-2, 7-5Donna Vekic (CRO) bt Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP) 6-2, 6-2Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) bt Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.