Overview
- Novak Djokovic beat Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 to reach the Australian Open fourth round.
- During a dead-ball moment he struck a ball that brushed a ballkid, an action that could have triggered disqualification under tournament rules.
- No in-match sanction followed, and he apologized afterward, calling the act unnecessary and acknowledging he was lucky.
- The incident drew comparisons to his 2020 US Open default, when he hit a line judge and was disqualified.
- He equaled Roger Federer’s 102 match wins in Melbourne and recorded his 400th Grand Slam match victory, a men’s and women’s all-time mark.