Australian Open 2023 day eight AS IT HAPPENED: Novak Djokovic hammers Alex de Minaur in 'absolute domination'; umpire forced to step in over heckling

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Australian Storm Hunter and Belgian Elise Mertens have booked a spot in the quarter-finals, dispatching Viktorija Golubic and Monica Niculescu in a comfortable doubles win.

Hunter and Mertens collected a 6-2, 6-2 win at Rod Laver Arena.

The pair will meet Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the quarter-finals.

We're not done with the Monday action from Melbourne Park just yet.

There's women's doubles action on Rod Laver Arena right now.

Aussie player Storm Hunter teams up with Elise Mertens, and they take on Viktorija Golubic and Monica Niculescu.

Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani was forced to stop play and plead with the Rod Laver Arena crowd after Novak Djokovic was relentlessly heckled on Monday night.

It was during his second-round match that the Serbian superstar blew up about a group of spectators dressed as Where's Wallys, who had abused him through the contest. They were escorted from the stadium.

But on Monday Djokovic kept his cool, and no one else did anything about the heckling until deep into the third set as the nine-time champion led Alex de Minaur comprehensively.

Djokovic had at one point had to pull out of a serve when at least one spectator refused to be quiet.

But it was when de Minaur was serving, down 1-5 in the third, that the yelling became too much and the players had to stop.

Lahyani spoke into his microphone to plead with the crowd.

"No need to do these kind of comments please," he said.

Aussie great Todd Woodbridge noted, "Umpire trying to keep the crowd under control. I think they want more (from the match)".

While the relentless heckling cause Djokovic to boil over last week, he kept his cool this time, although he looked none too please when speaking to Jim Courier post-match.

"You have to deal with a lot of things... on and off the court," he said.

Novak Djokovic charges to victory at Rod Laver Arena!

The Serbian champion sealed a dominant straight-sets win as Alex de Minaur failed to return a serve, hitting the ball long.

It chalked up a 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win for Djokovic, who's now set for a quarter-final clash with Andrey Rublev.

"Absolute domination from Djokovic," said Nine commentator Todd Woodbridge.

"Quite simply too good."

Unseeded American player Tommy Paul has knocked out men's No.24 seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

The Spaniard exits as Paul wins the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 on Margaret Court Arena.

The winning point is unfortunately another net tape job.

Thinking hypothetically, Jim Courier is grimacing at the thought of having to meet Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open.

"I'll tell you what: if I was still in this tournament and I happened to be home right now, and I had dinner, came back ... 'Let's see what's going on on the TV' ... I would want to turn this horror movie off," Courier says on Nine's coverage as Djokovic rips an unreturnable two-handed backhand.

"I would not want to see this. If I thought I might have a chance to play Novak, this is not what you want to go to bed thinking about."

Djokovic completes a break of serve shortly after Courier's telling remarks, taking a 3-0 lead in the third set.

The Serbian superstar won the first set 6-2 and the second 6-1.

Novak Djokovic appears to be rocketing toward the quarter-finals of the Melbourne major, having won the first set 6-2 and second set 6-1.

The Serbian is a rock behind the baseline, making Alex de Minaur wilt through unwavering focus, phenomenal ball-striking and expert manipulation of the ball.

Enormous hype surrounded Alex de Minaur's bid to oust the 21-time grand slam champion at Rod Laver Arena, but the hype is rapidly deflating.

Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 10th Australian Open title, is leading the local 5-0 in the second set after collecting the opener 6-2.

"This has been a marvellous exhibition of tennis from Novak Djokovic," says Nine commentator Todd Woodbridge.

"He knew that this could be a troublesome match and he has just gone up a level or two tonight from where he's been in the tournament.

"The focus has been as sharp as ever and the ball-striking has matched it."

Jim Courier paints a grim picture of the challenge facing de Minaur, declaring: "Sometimes you're just at the mercy".