HEARTBROKEN Novak Djokovic broke down on court after remembering his mentor Kobe Bryant.
The Serb struggled with words after being asked for a tribute to the NBA legend, who was among nine people, including his daughter Gianni, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday in California.
Djokovic wore a green top with the KB 8 24 and a heart stitched on to the front the numbers of the jerseys Bryant wore for the LA Lakers.
The world No2 was close pals with the American, 41, and consulted him when he had elbow problems two years ago.
Djokovic said: I dont know what to say, it really caught us by surprise.
He was one of the greatest athletes of all time.
He inspired myself and other people, and I had that fortune to have a personal relationship with him over the last ten years.
When I needed some advice and some support, he was there for me.
He was my mentor and friend. Its heart-breaking to hear and see what happened with him and his daughter.
Djokovic struggled with his eyes as he booked a 50th meeting with Roger Federer at the Australian Open.
To the annoyance of quarter-final opponent Milos Raonic, Djokovic had to stop on the third set because of the flare from his contact lenses.
The 32-year-old took a medial timeout to clear his vision but Canadian Raonic claimed it has disrupted his rhythm, moaning: Couldnt he have waited to the end of the set?
In the end, Djokovic did not take his eye off the ball, progressing in straight sets 6-4 6-3 7-6.
Djokovic said: I wanted to apologise to Milos. It was not something you see often. It was not a changeover moment.
I want to apologise to the crowd. It was not intentional or tactical. It was something I had to do.
Those few games, I couldnt see much and had to change my lens.
View this post on InstagramMy heart truly mourns over the news today. Kobe was a great mentor and friend. There are not enough words to express my deepest sympathies to the Bryants and every family suffering from this tragedy. May God bless you and your Gianna. Thank you for being there for me and inspiring the entire world. Thank you for showing all of us athletes how to compete and respect sport. Thank you for the greatest legacy you leave behind with us. Ill never forget your smile spreading positive energy everywhere you went. You and your daughter will live forever
in our hearts
. RIP amico mio. Ti voglio bene.
It was a clinical display, in which he blunted the famous and powerful Raonic serve, and remarkably he was not broken once across the three sets.
It means the defending champion has only dropped one set out of 16 in the tournament.
He now takes on No3 seed Federer in the semi-finals in Melbourne with questions marks over whether the Swiss star can recover in time.
Here’s how the quarter-final on the Rod Laver Arena unfolded…
