Novak Djokovic is through to his 13th Australian Open semifinal, but even the 24-time Grand Slam champion admits he didn’t earn this one the hard way.
In what was shaping up to be the upset of the tournament, 23-year-old Lorenzo Musetti had the legendary Serbian on the ropes at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday. The Italian world No. 5 played some of the best tennis of his young career to storm out to a 6-4, 6-3 lead, leaving Djokovic looking “unrecognizable” and out of rhythm with 23 unforced errors in the first two sets alone.
However, disaster struck for Musetti early in the third set. After leading the match by two sets, the Italian began struggling with a visible right thigh injury. Despite taking a medical timeout and trying to push through the pain, he was clearly compromised, unable to move effectively across the baseline.
Trailing 1-3 in the third set and facing a double break point, Musetti was forced to call it a day, handing Djokovic a spot in the final four via retirement.
It was a heartbreaking exit for Musetti, who was just one set away from his first-ever Australian Open semifinal. Djokovic, ever the sportsman, didn’t hold back in his praise for the young star during his on-court interview.
“I don't know what to say except for I feel sorry for him,” Djokovic told the crowd. “He was the far better player, I was on my way home tonight. These kind of things happen in sport… I wish him a speedy recovery, and he should've been the winner today no doubt.”
While the win marks Djokovic’s 103rd match victory in Melbourne, passing Roger Federer for the most all-time, the 38-year-old knows he dodged a massive bullet. He will now face Jannik Sinner in a blockbuster clash. If Djokovic wants to claim a record-extending 25th major, he’ll need to clean up the errors quickly, because “house money” only lasts so long in the second week of a Slam.
