Aus open 2024 : Djokovic outplayed by Sinner in SF , Medvedev win 5 set thriller to reach final

 

36-year-old Novak Djokovic will not be seen again at the Australian Open this time.  The 10-time Australian Open winner lost against 22-year-old Jannik Sinner.  Djokovic lost 1-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6.  The world's number one tennis star has been eliminated from the semi-finals of the Australian Open.  He was also the top seed in the Australian Open this time.  The fourth-seeded Sinner defeated the legend   Djokovic

 Djokovic trailed from the start of the semi-finals.  He lost the first set by 1-6 games and  lost the second set by 2-6 as Sinner was completely outplaying the Australian Open 10 time champion by playing sparkling tennis .  It was then thought that Djokovic would lose easily .  However the fighter  he is , Novak  came back in the third set.  He won that set in a tie breaker after the games went with serve .  In many matches Djokovic can be seen winning the match despite losing the first or second set or both sets .  However  that didn't happen on Friday.  Djokovic left the semi-finals of the Australian Open after losing the fourth set in which Sinner again outplayed him . Djokovic never had any momentum throughout the match and looked uncharacteristically very flat in a big stage.  

 This year's Australian Open already had its share of unexpected results . India's Sumit Nagal beating Alexander Bublik.  Carlos Alcaraz, was defeated by Alexander Zverev but the biggest incident happened on Friday when Sinner came into the discussion after defeating Djokovic.

Sinner reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time.  The 22-year-old Italian is world number four.  There was no trace of emotion on the 6ft 2in tennis player's face as he won in straight sets on Friday.  Despite reaching the final after defeating Djokovic, he did not show any extra enthusiasm.

 Djokovic, who won 24 Grand Slams, could not give his best.  He himself understood that.  Djokovic does not like to lose.  He was losing one point after another by making unforced errors .  He was giving the opponent room to play.  In other matches, Djokovic was seen shouting on the court when he lost a point.  His habit is to destroy the opponent with the tennis racket but on this day he looked very subdued . 

  Djokovic will have to now wait until the French Open to win his 25th Grand Slam.

Meanwhile , Daniil Medvedev made a stunning comeback at the Australian Open.  Despite losing the first two sets, a great comeback was scripted by him .  He defeated Alexander Zverev in five sets to reach the final.  Medvedev won 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.  He will face Jannik Sinner in the final.  The game is on Sunday.

 The Russian player showed how fight back from two sets deficit .    Zverev is a long-time 'enemy' of Medvedev.  Although they had faced each other 18 times before, they were playing against each other for the first time in a Grand Slam.  Medvedev had the last laugh in that fight.  He was only two points away from losing.  The Russian player turned around from there.  The match lasted four hours and 18 minutes.

 Medvedev, who won the US Open in 2021, reached his sixth Grand Slam final with this win.  He will face Sinner on Sunday with the aim of getting the second trophy.  On this day, he did not find his rhythm in the first two sets.  In the battle of shots from the baseline, Zverev repeatedly outplayed Medvedev.  But the Russian player did not give up as he battled grimly to win the 3rd and 4th sets in close tie breakers .  In the last set Zverev lost the edge in his game and started committing more errors as the match progressed handing Medvedev an easy 5th set win . Zverev should be gutted not to win this match after being 2-0 sets up .