MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic knows all too well the mountain he must scale to capture an elusive record 25th Grand Slam crown, but the Serbian great is not ready to “walk out with a white flag” just yet.
The 38-year-old was gifted passage into an Australian Open semifinal showdown with Jannik Sinner after Lorenzo Musetti retired hurt when in complete control of their last-eight clash, 6-4, 6-3, 1-3.
It followed a free ride through the fourth round when Jakub Mensik withdrew without a ball being hit.
His charmed run has pitted the 38-year-old against world number two and double defending champion Sinner in a blockbuster on Rod Laver Arena on Friday.
Djokovic needs to reverse a run of five straight defeats to the Italian to make his 11th Australian Open final, where either Spanish top seed Carlos Alcaraz or German third seed Alexander Zverev awaits.
Djokovic was crushed by Sinner in last year’s French Open and Wimbledon semifinals, but remains optimistic he can still pull off an upset.
“I’m creating my own history and I think I’ve been very clear when I say what my intention is in terms of achievements and objectives and results,” said Djokovic, who is into a mind-blowing 55th Grand Slam semifinal.
“I want to get to the championship match in every tournament, particularly Slams.
“Are they (Sinner and Alcaraz) better right now than me and all the other guys? Yes, they are. I mean, the quality and the level is amazing.
“But does that mean that I walk out with a white flag? No. I’m going to fight until the last shot, until the last point, and do my very best to challenge them.”
Ten-time Melbourne winner Djokovic has been trying to move past Margaret Court and clinch a landmark 25th major since his last one at the US Open in 2023.
It has proved increasingly difficult with the emergence of Sinner and Alcaraz, who have shared every Slam title since then.
Despite being odds-on favorite, Sinner said he was still learning from Djokovic and would not be underestimating him.
“He is I think the most professional athlete we have here in the locker room,” he said.
“Obviously he has a huge package of experience. You see him on the court, you know he knows how to handle every situation the best possible way.
“Me, as a 24-year-old, I’m lucky to have someone like him in front of my eyes, and I can hopefully learn something.
“I feel like every day, every time he plays, I can learn something about him, about Carlos, about all the other great, great players.
“He’s an inspiration for all of us and especially the young players.”
Sweating it
Alcaraz is on his own mission — to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors aged just 22. Rafael Nadal did it at 24.
He has been in ominous touch so far in Melbourne, but faces a tricky challenge in the form of Zverev, who is still seeking an elusive first major crown at the age of 28.
The German made the final last year and was thumped by Sinner before his season was blighted by shoulder, back and ankle injuries.
But he is pain-free and with a newly aggressive approach could pose a threat.
“I feel happy on court because I am playing pain-free and I’m playing a good level,” he said.
“I’ve worked on my aggressive game. I’ve worked on my first shots after the serve, my first forehand after the serve, maybe a bit more serve and volleying as well.
“If those things work for me, then I think success will come as well.”
Alcaraz, who is into his first Australian Open semifinal, practiced with the German before the tournament and noted that his level was “really, really high.”
“It’s going to be a great battle,” he said. “I will be ready, for sure.
“I will be well-prepared for that match. If he wants to beat me, he has to sweat a lot.”
No white flag from Djokovic against Sinner as Alcaraz faces Zverev threat
https://arab.news/z6j75
No white flag from Djokovic against Sinner as Alcaraz faces Zverev threat
- Novak Djokovic knows all too well the mountain he must scale to capture an elusive record 25th Grand Slam crown, but the Serbian great is not ready to “walk out with a white flag” just yet
Top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime overcomes struggles to progress in Dubai
- The Canadian, ranked No. 8 in the world, needed 6 match points to secure victory over China’s Zhizhen Zhang
- Winning return for British No. 1 Jack Draper following 8 months out with a recurring arm injury
DUBAI: Felix Auger-Aliassime has returned to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with the aim to improve on last season’s runner-up showing.
The Canadian, ranked No. 8 in the world and the No. 1 seed in Dubai, needed six match-points to secure victory over China’s Zhizhen Zhang, and progresses to Wednesday’s round of 16 to face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Auger-Aliassime opened his campaign with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win. A year ago, the 25-year-old reached the championship match but was denied the trophy by a red-hot Stefanos Tsitsipas.
This time around, he arrives as one of the leading contenders for the title, with his face prominently positioned around the host venue’s expanded Tennis Village, a fact he is happy to embrace.
“It’s the right timing,” he said post-match.
“It’s not like it’s too soon for me. I’ve been on this Tour for quite some years now and been in this position as a teenager in Junior Grand Slams too, so I like to be in this position where there is pressure on me and to see if I deliver.
“I am kind of testing my growth, self-belief, and composure, and I want to be in this position in even bigger tournaments one day.”
Against Zhang, he saved four break points, but also failed to convert two match points on return at 5-4 and three more at 6-5 before holding his nerve in the tiebreak to avoid a third set.
“I stopped counting at some point; it was getting too frustrating,” he said with his charismatic smile.
“It’s weird because having match points is the position you want to be in as a player, yet your mind plays a trick on you because how much further I am from losing, he’s the one who should be tight, but the players (leading) tend to actually get tight.
“But I kept telling myself if there’s a third set, I’ll be there.”
Next up is Mpetshi Perricard after the Frenchman saw off Tunisian wildcard Moez Echargui, the Arab world’s top-ranked player at No. 141. Echargui pushed himself and his opponent to the limit, with all three sets going to tiebreaks.
Mpetshi Perricard finally edged through 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4). Such was the intensity, Mpetshi Perricard required medical timeouts for ankle pain and suggested he was “not very confident” he would recover fully in time for his next match.
For 33-year-old Echargui, in contrast, February is proving positive. Having made his ATP 500 debut last week in Doha, he said this month marks an important new chapter in his career.
“Going on center court and playing against top players, it is where we want to be, playing in these big tournaments, in front of these big crowds,” said Echargui, whose next stop is Indian Wells next week.
“Despite the result, I’m feeling really positive about it. I knew the match would be a hard one, so I just tried to stay focused all the way through. I’m proud to represent my country and to represent all the Arab world, especially here in Dubai.”
In the final match on center court, British No. 1 Jack Draper eased back into life on Tour following eight months out with a recurring arm injury. The No. 4 seed, demonstrating a new serve technique, hit 13 aces as he beat French qualifier Quentin Halys 7-6 (8), 6-3 to progress.
“Today was a little bit nervy,” said Draper, who was world No. 4 last June before a series of injuries struck.
“It wasn’t my cleanest performance, but after all this time, I’m really proud of myself. The way I came out and competed; it wasn’t easy but from here on, hopefully I can go from strength to strength.
“It was really great to get back competing and in front of people, I’ve been practicing for eight months now in front of only my granddad, so to be out here, to play in front of you guys and be back on tour it is honestly such a privilege for me.”
