Novak Djokovic advanced to the Australian Open semi-finals on the 13th after Lorenzo Musetti, who led by two sets at Melbourne Park, was injured in the third set.
Musetti’s retirement while leading 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 meant Djokovic had made a grand escape in his most successful hunting ground, with the 10-time champion still alive for her 25th solo major attempt to break a draw with Margaret Court.
The 38-year-old Serbian returned to action after a long break following a walkover to Sunday’s fourth-round opponent Jakub Mencik, and showed freshness with a sharp start, providing plenty of variety and grabbing an early break.
But after some loose points saw Musetti level at 2-2, the Italian overtook Djokovic for the first time this tournament with an overhead shot and comfortably ended the first set with serve.
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Novak Djokovic was not happy with a reporter’s question suggesting he was consistently chasing players like Rafa Nadal and Jannik Sinner.
Hot winners from both sides helped break Musetti in the first game of the second set, and although the 23-year-old quickly lost his advantage, he regained the lead and soon doubled his lead in the match, forcing Djokovic into the ropes.
Djokovic struggled as he continued to treat a blister on his foot and took a 2-1 lead with a break in the third set. At this time, Musetti brought his trainer to the court with what appeared to be a problem in his right thigh.
Musetti tried to deal with the problem and continue playing, but he was far from 100 percent and threw in the towel as the crowd at Rod Laver Arena held their breath, giving Djokovic his 103rd victory of the tournament, giving him more than Roger Federer.
Djokovic: “Musetti is a much better player”
Djokovic, who was forced out of last year’s semi-final due to injury, admitted he was very lucky and said: “I don’t know what else to say other than I’m really sorry for him.”
“He was the much better player. I was on my way home. It’s happened to me a few times, but in the quarterfinals of a Slam tournament, he was in complete control in the second set, so it’s a shame. I wish him a speedy recovery and he definitely should have been the winner today.”
“I’m going to double my prayers tonight to thank God for truly giving me this opportunity. I’m going to do my best in the next few days to take advantage of that opportunity.”
Musetti was cruelly forced to miss the Australian Open semi-finals due to injury.
‘It’s really painful’ – Musetti struggles to calculate retirement
Musetti later revealed in the press room that he started feeling the injury at the start of the second set and that the pain had increased to the point that it was impossible for him to continue the match.
This is not the first time the fifth seed has faced such problems, with Musetti also withdrawing from last summer’s French Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz.
“We did all the tests and tests to confirm and prevent this type of injury before the season started, but they say nothing happened. So honestly, I don’t have the words to explain how I feel right now and how tough this injury is for me at this moment,” he said.
“Honestly, I never imagined how it would feel to play like that against Novak, leading by 0 points in two sets, leading the match like that and being forced to retire.Of course it hurts.”
Sinner advances to the semifinals over Shelton
Jannik Sinner beats Ben Shelton in straight sets to advance to Australian Open semifinals
Djokovic, aiming for a record-breaking Grand Slam title, will continue against Jannik Sinner after the defending champion beat Ben Shelton in straight sets to reach the semi-finals.
Sinner, aiming for his third straight Australian Open title, put in a composed performance at Rod Laver Arena, winning decisive breaks in every set and serving big to defeat the American 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 23 minutes.
Sinner’s 10-game winning streak over Shelton confirms that this year’s semifinal lineup will include the tournament’s top four seeds, with Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev set to face off against the remaining best-of-four.
“It’s very difficult to play against Ben,” Sinner said. “It’s a great serve and I feel like he’s getting better every year. I’m very happy with today’s performance. I felt like we got a great return today.”
Regarding playing against Djokovic, the 24-year-old added: “This is the moment to practice, wake up in the morning and look forward to playing a good match. We’re still lucky to have Novak here playing incredible tennis at his age. I hope it’s a great fight.”
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