Sinner Upsets Djokovic in Australian Open Semis

Jannik Sinner caused a major upset in the Australian Open semifinals by ending Novak Djokovic’s perfect streak in Melbourne. Sinner secured a convincing 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory, breaking Djokovic’s serve twice in each of the first two sets. This marked the first time Djokovic lost in the Australian Open semifinals since 2018, ending a remarkable 33-match unbeaten run. Sinner, a 22-year-old Italian, converted his second match point, reflecting on his previous learnings from their rivalry and expressing confidence gained from recent victories.

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In the other semifinal, Daniil Medvedev staged a remarkable comeback against Alexander Zverev. Initially down two sets and facing match points in the fourth, Medvedev rallied to win 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3 after a marathon 4 hours and 18 minutes. Despite being initially “a little bit lost,” Medvedev expressed pride in his resilience. A pivotal moment came in the fourth-set tiebreaker when a shanked chip forehand service return by Medvedev frustrated Zverev, leading to a set point. Medvedev acknowledged the tough luck but emphasized the unpredictable nature of tennis. Zverev later received a warning for a code violation after hitting the net in frustration.

Expressing disappointment, Zverev mentioned the missed opportunity at 5-4 in the tiebreak, describing the 5-all point as purely unlucky. Despite the attention drawn to Zverev’s run due to an ongoing assault allegation trial set for May, the Olympic gold medalist insisted it wasn’t a distraction. Zverev, who came close to reaching his second Grand Slam final, had previously experienced a setback when he lost the 2020 U.S. Open final after holding a two-set lead.

In contrast, 2021 U.S. Open winner Medvedev is now vying for his second major title in his sixth final, overcoming challenges, including a grueling second-round win that concluded at almost 4 in the morning. Medvedev’s resilience has made him the first player since Pete Sampras in 1995 to mount two comebacks from 2-0 down on the way to an Australian Open final.

In the women’s final, Sinner, at a young age, is set to become the youngest player to contest the men’s final in Australia since Novak Djokovic’s first win in 2008. Djokovic, acknowledging his poor performance, described the match against Sinner as one of the worst Grand Slam matches he recalls playing.

Djokovic faced an unusual situation as he failed to secure a single break point throughout the match, marking the first time such an occurrence happened to him in a completed Grand Slam match. Acknowledging the significance of this stat, Djokovic expressed dissatisfaction with his overall performance, describing it as subpar.

Sinner took control with a remarkable start, claiming the first two sets in just over 1 1/4 hours. This impressive feat came against a player who had lost only one Grand Slam match the previous year, which was the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz.

Djokovic improved his service percentage, reduced unforced errors, and intensified the pressure in the third set. Despite a brief interruption for medical assistance to a spectator, Djokovic held serve, saved a match point, and won the set in a tiebreaker. However, he found himself in trouble again in the fourth set.

Although chants of “Nole, Nole, Nole, Nole” echoed around Rod Laver Arena, urging Djokovic on, it wasn’t enough to secure a victory this time. Sinner managed to break Djokovic’s serve, taking a 3-1 lead in the fourth set and ultimately securing the match.

Reflecting on his performance, Sinner emphasized the importance of feeling prepared for a good fight and drew confidence from his results at the end of the previous year, believing in his potential to achieve success in Grand Slam tournaments.