Zverev Reaches Final as Djokovic Retires Due to Injury
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Synopsis
In a dramatic turn of events at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic's pursuit of an 11th title was halted as he retired with an injury after the first set against Alexander Zverev. This victory propels Zverev into his first Australian Open final, where he will face either Jannik Sinner or Alex de Minaur.
Key Takeaways
- Novak Djokovic retires from semifinal due to injury.
- Alexander Zverev advances to his first Australian Open final.
- Djokovic was leading 7-6(5) in the first set before retirement.
- Zverev's potential opponents in the final are Jannik Sinner or Alex de Minaur.
- Djokovic's injury hindered his performance despite a recent comeback.
Melbourne, Jan 24 (NationPress) The quest for a record 11th Australian Open title for Novak Djokovic faced a significant setback when the Serbian legend retired due to injury after the first set of his semifinal against Alexander Zverev on Friday.
After a grueling first set lasting 81 minutes, Djokovic conceded the match while trailing Zverev 7-6(5) in the tiebreak. Following his loss in the opening set, Djokovic shook hands with the No. 2 seed, thereby propelling the German into the final.
As Zverev prepares for his inaugural Australian Open final, he awaits either defending champion Jannik Sinner or local favorite Alex de Minaur. This marks Zverev's third major final appearance.
Throughout the initial set, Djokovic put up a fight but ultimately could not continue after misplaying a volley on set point.
Having recently recovered from an upper-leg injury in a remarkable quarter-final performance against Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic appeared to struggle against Zverev, although he kept the match competitive, according to ATP reports.
Despite battling through discomfort to defeat Alcaraz on Tuesday in pursuit of his record-extending 25th major title, Djokovic's limitations were evident.
The Serbian, who had his upper left leg taped during his victory against Alcaraz, was aiming for an 11th Australian Open title, having notably won the tournament in 2023 while managing an injury.
Djokovic becomes the third player in the Open Era to reach the Australian Open semifinals at the age of 37 or older, joining the ranks of Ken Rosewall and Roger Federer.
The former ATP No. 1 has struggled to reclaim his peak form in major tournaments throughout 2024, with his win against World No. 3 Alcaraz in the quarterfinal being his first against a Top 10 player in a Slam since 2023 when he triumphed over Daniil Medvedev to secure his 24th major at the US Open.
