World number 1 Novak Djokovic will take on eighth seed Kei Nishikori in the men's quarterfinal of the Australian Open on January 23 at the Rod Laver Arena.
The match between Djokovic and Nishikori will not start before at 7:30 pm local time, 4.30 pm SGT and 8:30 am GMT.
Djokovic vs Nishikori preview
With a head-to-head record of 15-2, Djokovic comes into this game as the firm favourite. The Serb has won 14 consecutive matches against the Japanese.
But it has not been completely smooth sailing for the top seed in the tournament thus far. Djokovic has dropped two sets in his last two matches but on each occasion, he bounced back to literally obliterate his opponent's challenge.
"Since I guess my next opponent is watching, I'm feeling fantastic. I've never felt fresher in my life," said Djokovic after his victory in the last match against Daniil Medvedev.
The Serb had certainly not lost his humour after a very physical battle against the Russian. While Djokovic was engaging in a gruelling battle with his opponent, Nishikori was fighting a marathon five-set tie-breaker.
"Kei won another marathon match. Congratulations to him for fighting back from two-sets-to-love down and a break down," Djokovic said. "He's a fighter. He's a very talented player. [He is] one of the quickest players on the Tour. I have lots of respect for him."
Nishikori's five-setter against Pablo Carreno Busta wasn't his only match that went the distance at Melbourne Park this slam either. His first and second round clashes went all the way too but on all three occasions, the Japanese has reigned supreme.
"I'm really glad how I came back," Nishikori said after overcoming a 5-8 deficit in his final-set tie-break against Carreno Busta. "I don't even know how I come back, but [I'm] very happy to win."
Australian Open 2019: TV guide
- Singapore: Fox Sports
- Malaysia: Fox Sports
- Japan: NHK, WOWOW
- India: Sony Six
- Serbia: Eurosport
- UK: Eurosport
- US: ESPN and Tennis Channel
