Djoker embraces romance of ‘unknown’
WHO is Aslan Karatsev? Don’t worry if you’re scratching your head.
Even Novak Djokovic didn’t know a week ago.
The Russian qualifier has rewritten the history books in taking the Australian Open by storm, becoming the first debutant of the Open Era to reach the final four of a grand slam as he set up a semi-final with the world No.1 on Thursday night.
After crushing a hobbled Grigor Dimitrov in Tuesday’s quarter-final, the 27-year-old opened up about his remarkable journey, admitting he considered walking away from tennis altogether as knee injuries piled up on the unforgiving Challenger and Futures tours.
Born in Vladikavkaz, a city of 310,000 in southeast Russia, Karatsev has spent his life moving around the world — to Israel when he was three, and back to Russia aged 12 with his father, and then to Germany and later Barcelona to play tennis.
Nine times Karatsev tried to reach a grand slam, only to stumble in qualifiers. But only once did he consider throwing in the towel.
“There was a time when I was injured that was a difficult time for me because I recovered after the injury,” Karatsev said.
“And then 2017 started, and I start to play again, and again I felt the knee, and I said, whoa.
“I quit again for 2½ months, almost three, and I think this is the most difficult part.”
Finally, he’s found his place in this tennis world with the extraordinary run at Melbourne Park netting him a guaranteed $850,000 payday and a shot at the world’s best.
Could he have imagined such a fairytale?
Could Karatsev a year ago have envisaged taking on the 17-time grand slam winner and undisputed king of Melbourne Park in a semi-final?
He laughs at the thought. “Of course not. I mean, four months ago I was 100-something — 116th (in the world),” he said. “I tried to go to the top 100 by the end of the year 2020, and it didn’t happen.”
Djokovic admits he’d never seen the unheralded Russian play prior to his giant-killing performances in Melbourne — but he’s embracing the story.
“Obviously for him it’s the biggest success he has had so far,” Djokovic said.
“He doesn’t have anything to lose, really. He’s motivated.
“I expect him to come out and really go for his shots and try his best and try to take that win.”
There may never be a better opportunity for Karatsev to win such a David and Goliath encounter, with Djokovic struggling with an apparent abdominal injury picked up during his gruelling thirdround win over Taylor Fritz.
“I have never experienced this kind of injury during a grand slam and kind of keep going,” Djokovic said after his exhausting quarter-final win over Alexander Zverev.
“But the positive thing is I actually felt the best today from the beginning of the second set until the end of the match that I have since the third round against Fritz when the injury happened.”
IT’S impossible to forget the 2018 US Open women’s final happened, no matter the efforts since from the parties involved.
What could have been remembered solely as Naomi Osaka’s coming-of-age moment was instead hijacked by Serena Williams’ emotional disintegration.
Or, Williams devotees will say, chair umpire Carlos Ramos’s overzealous officiating that sparked her reactions.
Wherever you stand, the first grand slam title for a future superstar of the sport — she now has three such championships, and counting — was overshadowed and spoiled.
Today’s Australian Open semi-final between Williams and Osaka will be their second meeting since that infamous match but first at a grand slam.
The stakes will again be high, with Williams chasing a record-equalling 24th grand slam singles title, and Osaka bidding for her fourth, and a second at Melbourne Park.
Their relationship, certainly outwardly, seems strong and
Osaka continues to publicly idolise Williams, who is widely regarded as the greatest female tennis player ever.
They faced off in the Adelaide exhibition event on January 29, after which respected American journalist Christopher Clarey dared to compare the smiles on that day with the tears of September 8, 2018.
“What a difference two years and 4½ months makes,” Clarey tweeted.
Underneath that tweet came a torrent of abuse, including one claim that Clarey was “pitting black women against each other unnecessarily”, a sentiment repeated in different words throughout.
It was also pointed out that Osaka posted an Instagram photo of herself and Williams together in Melbourne a year earlier with the caption: “Me and my mum lol.”
Even as a distraught Osaka broke down in 2018 in the aftermath of what should have been a joyous experience, Williams — directly invested in it not being that — did her best to comfort her Japanese opponent.
Williams said on Tuesday night they had privately discussed that fateful day.
“We both have had closure, and we have reached out to each other,” Williams said.
Osaka, for her part, says she’s still intimidated when Williams is at the other end of the court, not because of the events of the US Open but due to her respect. Even in Osaka’s post-final press conference in New York in 2018, she said nothing could burst Williams’ bubble in her eyes.
“I’m always going to remember the Serena that I love,” Osaka said at the time.
“It doesn’t change anything for me. She was really nice to me at the net and on the podium. I don’t really see what would change.”
Osaka’s three slam titles have come while Williams has been unable to add to her 2017 Australian Open title.
However, any passing of the torch does not sit comfortably with the 23-year-old.
“Honestly, I don’t feel that way. I think I’m one of the new people,” Osaka said. “As long as Serena’s here, I think she’s the face of women’s tennis.”