MELBOURNE – Keep pushing, that was Jannik Sinner’s mantra as he ended Novak Djokovic’s bid for a 25th Grand Slam on Jan 26, snapping the Serb’s astonishing 33-match Australian Open winning run to reach his first Major final.
The Italian fourth seed was unfazed by dropping his first set of the tournament against the king of Rod Laver Arena, winning the semi-final 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3.
He will face third seed Daniil Medvedev in the championship match on Jan 28, meaning there will be a new name on the trophy.
The 27-year-old Russian came from two sets behind to defeat German sixth seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 and reach his third Australian Open final. He lost in 2021 to Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in 2022.
World No. 1 Djokovic, a 10-time Melbourne Park champion, fought off a match point in the third-set tiebreak but notched up 54 errors and failed to create a single break point in a sub-par display by his stellar standards.
“It was a very tough match. I started off really well. He missed in the first two sets. I felt like he was not feeling that great on court, so I just tried to keep pushing,” said Sinner.
“Then in the third set I had match point and I missed the forehand but this is tennis. I just tried to be ready for the next set, which I started off really well.”
He also said he felt he had learnt from defeat by Djokovic, 36, in last season’s Wimbledon semi-finals – the furthest he had previously gone at a Grand Slam – and had been looking forward to the match.
“I think we play really similar – you have to return as many balls as possible, he’s such an incredible server. So I was just trying to push him around a little bit – I’m not going to tell you the tactics,” added the 22-year-old.
Victory meant that Sinner, the first Italian man or woman to reach an Australian Open singles final, has now defeated Djokovic at the ATP Finals, the Davis Cup and in a Grand Slam.
In marking the arrival of a new generation of tennis stars, the men’s final on Jan 28 will be the first since 2005 not to feature the “Big Three” of Djokovic, Nadal or Roger Federer.
Sinner knows his job is not done yet, pointing to his subdued celebrations after beating Djokovic.
“Obviously it means so much to me to beat Novak here in Melbourne, but in another way, I know the tournament is not over,” he said. “Sunday is a final. It’s different emotions, because the final is always different.
“In my mind today I knew it was a semi-final. It’s not that you win the tournament like this.
“So I’m looking forward to Sunday, and let’s see what’s coming.” AFP, REUTERS
