What a thriller at the Australian Open! Novak Djokovic comes back from a set down against Jannik Sinner in the semifinals to reach the final.
The old master wants to do it again: Novak Djokovic celebrated a spectacular victory over Jannik Sinner and followed Carlos Alcaraz into the Australian Open final. The Serbian Grand Slam record winner (38) surprisingly defeated the Italian defending champion in a dramatic semifinal 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
At 1:31 a.m. local time, after more than four hours, Djokovic converted his third match point and decided the match – partly because Sinner had previously missed too many break opportunities. He is now just one step away from celebrating his long-awaited 25th major title after years of waiting and becoming the sole record holder across both genders.
Becker deeply impressed: “Absolutely insane”
His magnificent display of energy also impressed German tennis legend Boris Becker. “Absolutely insane, the way they’re playing,” said the Eurosport expert, clearly impressed. “Unbelievable what this man has achieved once again,” he said, praising the Serbian veteran.
Eurosport commentator Wolfgang Nadvornik was no less impressed. “This is a tennis miracle,” he said, describing Djokovic’s breathtaking triumph. “It’s absurd what this 38-year-old has achieved here,” he added.
Djokovic oldest finalist at the Australian Open
Djokovic is now the oldest finalist in Melbourne in the Open Era and could win his eleventh tournament Down Under. Sinner, on the other hand, missed out on his third consecutive final in Melbourne and the chance to win his fifth Grand Slam title.
The Serb had lost all of his previous five matches against Sinner—three of them in Grand Slam semifinals—winning only two sets in the process. But after a confident start by the world number two from South Tyrol, Djokovic showed that he has not yet given up his determined pursuit of more major titles. He won over the crowd in the second set and met the Italian on equal terms.
Djokovic also managed to break Sinner’s serve in the fourth set. The 38-year-old, who had been able to conserve a lot of energy during the tournament, played as strongly as he did in his younger years at times.
“He’s as fit as a fiddle,” marveled his former coach Boris Becker on Eurosport. Sinner had numerous break points in the deciding set, but Djokovic remained extremely strong-nerved.
Djokovic has a positive record against Alcaraz.
Djokovic has a positive record of 5:4 in direct matches against Alcaraz. However, the Spaniard had the upper hand in their most recent encounter, in the semifinals of the US Open. Alcaraz had previously defeated world number three Alexander Zverev in a spectacular five-set thriller in the first semifinal in Melbourne.
