Australian Open: Djokovic Reaches Record-Extending 48th Major Semifinal

Novak Djokovic, Australian Open
Novak Djokovic (photo: Jürgen Hasenkopf)

MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 23, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Top seed Novak Djokovic was extended to four sets by American Taylor Fritz during their Australian Open quarterfinal match Tuesday afternoon. However, the World No. 1 from Serbia prevailed in three-hours, 45-minutes, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, to advance to his 48th career major semifinal, which extends his lead as the all-time player with the most Grand Slam men’s singles last four appearances.

The 16-minute, nine-deuce opening game of the match, in which Fritz saved three break points – of the 17 he would go on to save – served as an indicator to players and fans alike on Rod Laver Arena that they were in for a marathon quarterfinal and not a sprint.

Although Djokovic won the opening set, saving a pair of set points at 5-6, he allowed Fritz to level matters in the second set, falling behind after an early break. However, the 10-time AO champ recovered nicely in the third set by converting two break chances and controlled his fate in the last set. The final two sets were contested in just 82 minutes.

In his on-court interview with Nick Kyrgios, Djokovic, 36, admitted that he “suffered a lot” in the first couple of sets, in which Fritz played “high-quality tennis” in his third major quarterfinal appearance.

“He was serving well, he was staying close to the line, he was kind of suffocating me from the back of the court. I was [playing] most of the rallies on my back foot. It was really difficult to find the right timing. It was extremely hot while the sun was still out there. Physically very draining, emotionally as well.”

Still, Djokovic found the right formula to beat Fritz for the ninth time in nine career meetings, including two straight major quarterfinal meetings, and very much kept alive his quest to win his 11th Australian Open title and 25th major overall.

“At the end of the day, I managed to break him when it mattered, in the third and the fourth,” he said. “I think I upped my game probably midway through the third set, all the way to the end.”

Later, in his news conference, Djokovic added: “I’m proud to overcome the kind of challenge and obstacles, and I’m of course pleased to win, but it was not enjoyable at all. It was really, yeah, suffering, a lot of suffering in every aspect.

“No, you have days like that where you just have to accept it and face the circumstances and try to make the most out of it.”

The victory was Djokovic’s 33rd straight in Melbourne going back to the start of the 2019 Australian Open, and equaled 33 straight wins at Melbourne Park by Monica Seles of the United States between 1991 and 1999.  He’s won the last four Australian Open events he’s competed in (sitting out 2022 due to not being vaccinated for COVID-19), and he’s never lost a semifinal in Melbourne.

Sinner beats Rublev, advances to his first AO semifinal

On Friday, Djokovic will once again face Italy’s Jannik Sinner, after the World No. 4 beat No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in two hours and 39 minutes. The two met twice late last year – four times in all in 2023 – and Sinner produced some of his best tennis of the season in defeating Djokovic in group stage play at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin and at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain.

“I’m really lucky to face him again,” said Sinner of Djokovic in his on-court interview. “This is one of the biggest tournaments in the world. I’m happy I can play against the No. 1 in the world. He won here [10] times, so it’s going to be tough. The only thing that I can control is I will give 100 percent, I will fight for every ball and then we will see what the outcome will be.”

Against Rublev, Sinner looked sharp and focused and played steady tennis throughout the match. By the conclusion, he had produced 34 winners, including 10 aces, won 76 percent of his first-serve points, saved all eight break points he faced and kept his unforced errors in check at 24. He outpointed his opponent 115-103. The loss dropped Rublev to 0-10 in major quarterfinals.

“It’s obviously very tough to play against him,” said Sinner, who was down 1-5 in the first-set tie-break, then pulled it out by winning six straight points. “We had some very tough matches already in the past and today was three sets, but I could have lost. The first set he had so many break points and I somehow served really well on them. Everything goes so fast, it’s more a reaction and trying to move him a little bit more than [he moves me].”

By the time the 22-year-old Sinner left Rod Laver Arena at 1:25 a.m., he remained the only player in the men’s draw to not drop a set. He’s also the second Italian man in the Open Era after Matteo Berrettini (2022) to reach the AO semifinals.

Defending champ Sabalenka sets up blockbuster semi versus Gauff

Defending champion and this year’s No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reached her sixth straight major semifinal and eighth overall after powering past No. 9 seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in just 71 minutes, 6-2, 6-3. It was Sabalenka’s 12th straight win at Melbourne Park.

Sabalenka, who dropped only seven points on her first serve, hit 20 winners to 13 unforced errors and broke Krejcikova’s serve six times. Meanwhile, Krejcikova committed 24 unforced errors and was outpointed 55-34.

“I’m super happy to get through this match,” Sabalenka said in her post-match news conference. She improved to 6-1 against the Czech star.

“Barbora is a tough opponent and we always had really tough battles against each other. I’m happy with the level I played and of course I’m happy to get this win.”

With her latest victory, Sabalenka has yet to drop a set and has lost only 16 games, and it sets up a Thursday semifinal showdown with No. 4 seed Coco Gauff of the United States in a rematch of the 2023 US Open title match won the American. Earlier Tuesday, the World No. 4 Gauff advanced over No. 37 Marta Kostyk of Ukraine, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 6-2, in three hours and eight minutes. Both players struggled in the heat and combined for 107 unforced errors.

“It’s always great battles against Coco, with really great fights,” said Sabalenka, who is 2-4 lifetime against Gauff. “I’m happy to play her, and I’m super excited to play that semifinal match.”

According to the WTA website, Sabalenka has become just the third player this century to reach six or more consecutive semifinals, joining Jennifer Capriati (six, between the 2001 Australian Open and 2002 French Open) and Serena Williams (six, between the 2002 French Open and 2003 Wimbledon, and 10 between the 2014 US Open and 2017 Australian Open). Sabalenka has made at least the semifinals of each major tournament since the 2022 US Open and she’s now 8-0 in major quarterfinals.

Around Melbourne Park

Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic and China’s Zhang Zhizhen, the No. 75 and No. 54-ranked singles players in the ATP Rankings, continued their surprising AO men’s doubles run by beating Ariel Behar of Uruguay and the Czech Republic’s Adam Pavlasek, 6-3, 6-1, to reach the semifinal round. Before the Australian Open, the Czech-Chinese duo had never played together and between them had just three doubles wins. They have lost just one set in their first four matches and have defeated two seeded teams, including No. 3 seeds Rajeev Ram of the United States and Joe Salisbury of Great Britain.

Next, Machac and Zhang will play either second seeds Rohan Bopanna of India and Matthew Ebden of Australia or No. 6 seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, both of Argentina. Bopanna and Ebden are the highest seeds remaining.

Top seeds Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Austin Krajicek of the United States were eliminated in the second round.

In women’s doubles, No. 4 seeds Gabriella Dabrowski of Canada and Canadian-born Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the semifinals after defeating Cristina Bucsa of Spain and Alexandra Panova of Russia, 7-5, 6-2. They will oppose No. 11 seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, who eliminated France’s Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0. Two other semifinal berths will be decided on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s Australian Open results

Wednesday’s Australian Open order of play

By the numbers

Once again, Australian Open 2024 enjoyed a record-setting day at Melbourne Park. Total attendance of 50,927 broke the previous record for second Tuesday day/night session attendance of 44,292 set in 2016. The day session crowd of 30,750 broke the 2016 second Tuesday mark of 28,187. The night session drew 20,177, which bettered the 2017 second Tuesday record of 19,334.

“Quotable …”

“It’s great to win that many big points in a row. I think I got to the point where I saved so many, I was playing the breakpoints so well because I just didn’t even care if I got broken anymore because in my mind, he deserves to break me at some point. I was playing him loose and playing him so well.

“But, I mean, I also honestly shouldn’t have faced that many breakpoints. I definitely could have played the games and served better to not put myself in that position.

“But how I was playing from the ground, like, after, you know, take out return, take out serve, how I was playing from the back of the court, I’m super happy with.”

–No. 12 seed Taylor Fritz, during his post-match news conference after losing to No. 1 Novak Djokovic, describing the feeling of saving 17 break points – including his first 15 – during their three-hour, 45-minute quarterfinal match.

 

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