NOVAK DJOKOVIC dished up 100 unforced errors in a five-set struggle with Gilles Simon on Sunday as Roger Federer roared into the Australian Open quarterfinals with ruthless efficiency.

    After the top seed’s “match to forget,” Federer looked in a hurry to brush off David Goffin when they came on court just before 11 p.m. — and he duly thrashed the Belgian 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in 88 minutes.

    There was a big contrast between defending champion Djokovic, who is going for a record-equaling sixth Australian Open title, and the 34-year-old Federer, who hasn’t won in Melbourne since 2010.

    While Simon patiently pushed and prodded Djokovic during his 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win, Goffin couldn’t lay a glove on Federer as the clockwork Swiss purred through.

    But both are safely into the quarterfinals, with Djokovic facing Kei Nishikori in his 27th consecutive Grand Slam last-eight clash and Federer up against Tomas Berdych.

    Berdych also had to come through a marathon five-setter as he outlasted Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the last eight for the sixth year in a row.

    By comparison, Nishikori’s win was a stroll as he crushed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets, and he may fancy his chances against Djokovic after the Serb’s flustered performance against Simon.

    “Actually, it gives me great joy to know that I can’t get worse than that, than what I played today,” Djokovic said.

    “I was obviously pleased to win the match, but in terms of the performance itself, I haven’t done well at all... It’s a match to forget for me.”

    He was at a loss to explain his tactic of continually trying drop shots, which either found the net or were returned with interest by the fast-moving Simon.

    “Sometimes you have a brain freeze, if I can call it that way,” the 10-time Grand Slam champion said.

    It will be Djokovic and Nishikori’s first Grand Slam meeting since the 2014 U.S. Open semis, when the Japanese player won in four sets to become the first Asian man to reach a major singles final.

    Djokovic hadn’t lost to Simon in nine matches stretching back to 2008, but the Frenchman’s probing and counter-punching rattled the game’s top player.

    (SD-Agencies)