Djokovic battles, Sabalenka soars
OZ OPEN: DEFENDING CHAMPIONS INTO THE SEMIFINALS
Top seed Novak Djokovic battled into an 11th Australian Open semi-final and a record-extending 48th at Grand Slams yesterday, but a rampant Aryna Sabalenka had a much easier ride.
The Serbian superstar came through a probing test on Rod Laver Arena against 12th-seeded American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to keep his bid for an unprecedented 25th major crown on track.
He will meet in-form Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner, who swept past Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Djokovic almost always gets the evening slot on centre court, but was bumped to the afternoon on a day on which temperatures soared to 320C and the world No 1 admitted it was tough going.
“Physically and emotionally very draining,” he said after the three hour and 45 minute epic, adding that he “suffered a lot” in the first two sets.
“He was serving well, staying close to the line and kind of suffocating me from the back of the court,” he said.
Sinner has been clinical in Melbourne and is yet to drop a set. He also beat Djokovic at the Davis Cup late last year, but the omens are not good for him.
The 36-year-old has won all 10 previous semifinals he has played at the Australian Open, stretching back to his first title in 2008 and is on a 33-match unbeaten streak on the blue hardcourts.
“I’m lucky to face him at one of the biggest tournaments in the world,” said Sinner.
In contrast to Djokovic’s long slog, fellow defending champion Sabalenka was off court in just 71 minutes, crushing ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-3 with minimum fuss.
She will face fourth seed Coco Gauff next in a replay of last year’s US Open final that the American teenager won in three sets.
“I love it, I love it. After the US Open, I really wanted that revenge, and, I mean, that’s a great match,” Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka had won all seven of her previous Grand Slam quarterfinals, and wasted little time laying down the law against Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion.
“I played really great tennis, I just hope I can keep playing this way,” said the 25-year-old.
Gauff admitted she was below par against Kostyuk, giving herself only a ‘C’ rating.
“Hopefully got the bad match out of the way and I can play even better,” she said.
“Really proud of the fight I showed today,” added the American, who had never progressed beyond the fourth round at Melbourne Park in four previous attempts.