Djokovic advances to high-level matches again thanks to opponent withdrawals; top four seeds meet in Australian Open semifinals!

Without any doubt, in the two Australian Open men’s singles semifinals concluded today Beijing time, Djokovic and Sinner each defeated their opponents, meeting once more in the semifinals since the Australian Open two years ago.

Although the semifinal pairings in the bottom half were similar to initial predictions when the draw was announced, the process was full of ups and downs. Initially, Djokovic was expected to clash with the dangerous Hurkacz in the third round, but the Polish player was knocked out early.

In the round of 16, Djokovic’s opponent was Menšík, who rose to fame by defeating Djokovic in last year’s Miami Masters final, but the Czech player, who had just won a tour title the week before the Australian Open and was in great form, withdrew due to injury, canceling a rematch with his idol. This gave Djokovic four days of rest before facing Musetti.

Normally, a seasoned player like Djokovic wouldn’t lose his touch after a few extra days off, but perhaps Musetti truly played well. In the first two sets of this quarterfinal, Djokovic showed no rhythm, with the Italian firmly controlling the pace. After those two sets, Djokovic requesteda medical timeout, as it seemed the blister on his foot was significantly affecting him.

However, shortly after Djokovic returned to the court, Musetti suddenly suffered a muscle strain and was quickly broken by Djokovic. Surprisingly, Musetti then announced he could not continue and retired from this highly anticipated match. Thus, Djokovic once again benefited from an opponent’s withdrawal, advancing to the semifinals with ample rest, which gave him a strong foundation for his showdown with Sinner.

Sinner, meanwhile, struggled in the third round against an unheralded opponent who gave him a tough fight. Clearly, the hot Australian weather took a heavy toll on his body, resembling his defeat at last season’s Shanghai Masters. Fortunately, closing the roof at a critical moment helped Sinner turn the match around.

He then faced compatriot Darderi and last year’s semifinal loser Shelton, defeating both cleanly in straight sets.

Thus, this Australian Open men’s singles semifinal features a rare high-class lineup, with the tournament’s top four seeds meeting at this stage. When was the last time a Grand Slam saw such a scenario? It’s hard to recall immediately.

Regarding head-to-head records, Zverev and Alcaraz have battled 12 times before, each winning six matches, with Zverev having defeated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open two years ago. Sinner also holds a slight edge over Djokovic, including their semifinal encounter two years ago when the Italian never allowed Djokovic a single break point.

Will the final once again be the usual Alcaraz-Sinner duel? Or will Djokovic march toward his 25th Grand Slam title? Or will Zverev defeat Alcaraz again? The suspense will be revealed the day after tomorrow!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Chengqiye)