10-time champion Novak Djokovic secured a place in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in a match that ended in unexpected fashion.
Despite Lorenzo Musetti (5) holding a 2-0 lead in sets, the Italian was forced to retire due to injury during the quarter-final, with Novak leading 3-1 in the third set.
The match at Rod Laver Arena lasted two hours and eight minutes before being halted, and was officially concluded at 4-6, 3-6, 3-1.
“I feel sorry for him. He was the better player, I was on my way home. He should have been in my place today, no doubt about it. These things happen in sport, and I wish him a speedy recovery,” Novak said after the match.
Novak made a strong start to the match, earning an early break to go up 2-0, but failed to consolidate it for 3-0 in his following service game. Musetti capitalised on his chance, immediately breaking back to reduce the deficit to 2-1 and seize the momentum. The Italian went on to secure another break in the fifth game to move ahead 4-2. Novak responded by holding serve from 0-40 to close the gap to 4-3, but was unable to recover the break before the end of the set, which lasted 54 minutes. The opening set was marked by a high number of unforced errors from the Serbian star – 18 compared to Musetti’s eight – as the Italian stayed focused and efficient.
Djokovic lost his opening service game of the second set, but responded immediately with a break to love. However, Musetti struck back in the very next game, once again taking control of the set. In the closing stages, the Italian earned another break in the final game to claim the set 6-3 and extend his lead to two sets to love.
During the break between the second and third sets, Novak received medical treatment for blisters. Upon resumption, he produced a strong response, breaking serve without dropping a point. Shortly afterwards, Musetti requested a medical timeout due to an issue with his right thigh. After play resumed, Djokovic confirmed the break to move ahead 3-1, before the match came to an abrupt end – Musetti retired on his own serve at 15-40.
Statistics: Aces (4-4), double faults (1-3), winners (26-29), unforced errors (32-23), total points won (72-77).
In the battle for a place in the final, Novak will face Italy’s Jannik Sinner (2) on Friday, after Sinner advanced past Ben Shelton (USA, 8) without dropping a set.
Djokovic currently trails Sinner 4–6 in their head-to-head record, with the Italian having won their last five encounters.
The other semifinal will feature Carlos Alcaraz (ESP, 1) and Alexander Zverev (GER, 3).
Photo: Profimedia
