World No.1 Novak Djokovic admitted that he was ‘shocked’ with his performance in the semi-final match at Melbourne Park on Friday. The Serbian legend was looking completely devastated after his 54 unforced errors helped his Italian contender Jannic Sinner win the match in four sets.
The 10-times champion Djokovic didn’t get a single breakpoint against Sinner- a record for him in a grand slam match. He remained unbeaten for 2195 days at the tournament, but lost the first two sets within 74 minutes. “I was, in a way, shocked with my level, in a bad way,” he said. “This is one of the worst grand slam matches I have ever played, at least that I remember”, he said, admitting that he was taken aback by his own performance.
Novak Djokovic was aiming to win his record-extending 11th Australian Open title and 25th major overall, keeping his perfect 10-0 record intact in the semifinal and final match in the Australian Open. He had a record 33 consecutive wins at the season’s first grand slam tournament since 2018 when he exited from the fourth round. The 36-year-old’s magical winning streak, however, was crushed at the Rod Laver Arena 1-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6 and the 22-year-old Italian reached his maiden grand slam final.
Sinner broke the Serbian early and late in both the first two sets to go ahead with 2-0 lead in only 73 minutes before Djokovic fought off match points in the 3rd set winning tiebreaker 8-6. Sinner broke early in the 4th set, winning five straight points. He took a 3-1 lead before serving out the match.
In a post-match media conference, Djokovic admitted that he was completely outplayed by his Italian opponent. He said, “He’s deservedly in the finals. He outplayed me completely.” The Serbian superstar also said, “First of all, he was serving very accurately, precise, he was backing his service very well. There’s a lot of negative things that I’ve done on the court today in terms of my game that I’m not really pleased with in return or, you know, movement or forehand, backhand. Everything, you know, was just subpar.”
The 36-year-old added, “This tournament hasn’t been, as I said, up to my standard or criteria or the level that I would normally play or expect myself to play, but doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s beginning of the end, as some people like to call it.”
Jannic Sinner had an experience of victory over Djokovic before the Australian Open, 2024. Yet he put his Australian Open semifinal win ahead of other two November triumphs last year at the Nitto ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals over three sets.
“When I play against him, it’s obvious right before that it’s a tough match,” reflected Sinner in his post-match press conference in Melbourne. “But a Grand Slam is different. It was a tough match, especially when I lost the third set with a match point. I just tried to stay as positive as possible, and it went my way today. I’m really happy.”
Sinner admitted that competing regularly against Djokovic at the tailend of 2023 had helped him familiarize himself with the Serbian’s game. “For me was a huge privilege at the end of last year to play against him three times in 10 days, because obviously you can practice with him, but the match is always different,” said Sinner, “I feel like this for sure helped me in one way, but in the other way, it’s as I said before, a Grand Slam is also mentally different.” He further added, “I just tried to play as relaxed as possible, but also have the right game plan in my mind. I think today it worked really well.”
Although Sinner achieved his career-best victory in the semifinal, he was not at all emotional after the match. He knows well that if he keeps his cool in the finals against 3rd seeded Medvedev he will make history to be the first Italian player(male or female) to lift the Australian Open trophy.
Sinner after becoming the youngest finalist of the Australian Open, said, “Sunday is a final. It’s different emotions because the final is always different. It doesn’t really matter how big the tournament is. In my mind today I knew it was a semi-final. It’s not that you win the tournament like this. So, I’m looking forward to Sunday, and let’s see what’s coming”.