The injured Serbian was forced to abandon this Friday at the end of the 1is Set against the German who will live his first final in Melbourne. The Swiss qualified for the final of the junior tournament. Back on the highlights of the night in Melbourne.
The shock
The abandonment, after 1h21 of Novak Djokovic's game. The Serb had just lost the 1is Set 7-6 (7/5) leaving a last stolen in the net. In the process, he threw in the towel. Wounded in the left thigh in the semi-finals against Carlos Alacaraz, he had not recovered sufficiently. Throughout the 1st round, Novak Djokovic gave the impression of not being in full possession of his means. His body language was weighed down by a deep embarrassment that only worsened. It was more and more visible during the tie-break. Djokovic was targeting an 11e title in Mlebourne, a 25e Sacre in a big slam, he wanted to expand his immense list of a 100e title. He leaves Melbourne with dark ideas. Posed, in crumbs, facing the ever higher wall of a 25e major title … “I did everything I could to manage the muscle tear … But towards the end of the 1st set, I started to feel more and more pain and it was too hard to manage”he summed up, defeated. Breeze.
The sentence
“Please don't stuck a player when he gets injured.” I know everyone has paid tickets and hoped to see a great game in 5 sets. But you must understand that Djokovic has given everything for this sport in the past 20 years. »» Signed Alexander Zverev who, on the court, explained: “There is no guy on the circuit that I respect more than Novak. He is one of my closest friends. Whenever I had difficulties, I could always call it. I only have respect for him. »» Alexander Zverev (seeded n ° 2) will aim, after 2 unhappy finals in Grand Chelem (US Open 2020, Roland-Garros 2024), a first major title. Faced with him, the Italian will stand Jannik Sinner (seeded n ° 1) or the American Ben Shelton (seeded n ° 21).
Statistics
He reached the 14th abandon of Novak Djokovic, the 7th in Grand Chelem.
The point
It was quick. In the first game of the semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, the Serbian of a laser race caught a backdone just behind the net after hitting the band, found a staggering angle. For his part, Zverev skillfully bypassed the net and with vivacity, Djokovic forced the German on a delicate volley which remained in the net. A match that seemed to be well launched. For the first time, Djokovic played by day in Melbourne (against the Portuguese Jaime Faria in the 2nd round, he had played with the roof). He gradually turned off. Before having to give up. Hurt. Destroyed.
-The video
Aryna Sabalenka's rhythm and color training. La Biélorusse (seeded n ° 1) will try, this Saturday, to win a third consecutive title to the Australian Open Tale The American Madison Keys (seeded n ° 19) who was finalist of the US Open 2017.
The title
Australians Olivia Gadecki and John Peers won the final of the mixed double by dominating their compatriots Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith 3-6, 6-4 (10/6).
The beautiful story
The Swiss Henry Bernet (17 years old; seeded n ° 8) brooded by Roger Federer, equipped by ON, qualified for the final of the junior tournament by having 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 of the Finnish Oskari Paldanius (seeded n ° 7). He is part of the first Swiss to reach the Junior final of the Australian Open. In the final, he will be opposed to the American Benjamin Willwerth who dominated 4-6 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2 his compatriot Jagger Leach.
