Image Source : AP Serbia’s Novak Djokovic sits down behind the courtroom between video games throughout his quarterfinal towards Germany’s Alexander Zverev on the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 16
Novak Djokovic smashed a racket, sending a bit of the body flying. Later, he plopped himself down proper there behind the blue courtroom, trying forlorn as will be.
He dropped the opening set towards Alexander Zverev, one of many younger guys attempting to shove apart Djokovic and the remainder of the Big Three. Djokovic trailed 3-0 within the third. And 3-0 within the fourth, too, finally even dealing with a set level.
Ah, however that is Djokovic we’re speaking about, the last word competitor. And that is Djokovic on the Australian Open, the place no man ever has been higher. So, naturally, Djokovic pulled himself collectively and pulled out the victory, reaching his ninth semifinal at Melbourne Park by eliminating No. 5 seed Zverev 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (6) Tuesday night time.
Djokovic is closing in on a ninth championship in Australia, which might add to his personal document for a person. And an 18th Grand Slam title general, two fewer than rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (who performs within the quarterfinals Wednesday).
Both males wore tape on their midsections to assist with belly points; Djokovic was damage throughout his third-round win towards Taylor Fritz.
That did not cease the No. 1-ranked Djokovic from managing to supply 23 aces, together with on the ultimate level.
In the semifinals, he’ll face the shock of the event: Aslan Karatsev, a 27-year-old from Russia who’s ranked 114th and wanted to undergo qualifying rounds simply to get into the principle draw of a serious for the primary time.
No one ever had been to the ultimate 4 in his Slam debut, till Karatsev’s 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 elimination Tuesday of No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov, who was damage by again spasms that made tying his footwear a chore.
Zverev, the 2020 U.S. Open runner-up and a semifinalist in Melbourne a 12 months in the past, as soon as extra had bother towards elite competitors on the most important phases. He fell to 0-8 towards Top 10 opponents at Grand Slam tournaments; he’s 25-29 dealing with such foes in tour-level matches in any other case.
