Melbourne: Ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, aged 38, has once again secured a place in the semifinals of this prestigious Grand Slam. This marks the 13th time Djokovic has reached the Australian Open semifinals.
Djokovic’s progress was aided by an unfortunate turn of events during his match against Italy’s fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti at Melbourne Park on Wednesday. Although Djokovic was trailing by two sets, Musetti was forced to retire due to an injury in the third set, confirming Djokovic’s spot in the semifinals for the 13th time.
Musetti had started the match strongly, winning the first set 6-4 and the second 6-3. His effective serving and baseline play kept Djokovic under pressure, with Musetti displaying pace and precision in every shot. A key moment in the first set came when Musetti sealed a crucial rally with a sharp-angled forehand winner to take the lead. He maintained momentum in the second set, securing a service break to win 6-3.
However, in the third set’s third game, Musetti sustained a fracture in his right leg. Despite physiotherapy treatment and attempts to continue, he eventually retired after a two-hour and eight-minute battle. With Musetti’s retirement, Djokovic advanced to the semifinals.
Musetti’s strong performance in the initial sets was notable for his clean returns, sharp forehands, and consistent groundstrokes, which kept Djokovic on the defensive. Unfortunately, the injury dashed his hopes of continuing further in the tournament.
After the match, Djokovic expressed his sympathy, stating, “I don’t know what to say except that I feel very sorry for him. He deserved to win today. These things happen in sport, but retiring after winning two sets in a Grand Slam quarterfinal is very unfortunate. I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Djokovic will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between second seed Jannik Sinner and eighth seed Ben Shelton in the semifinals on Friday.
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