Tag: Australian Open Final

Defending champion Jannik Sinner blew past Ben Shelton 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2 in the Australian Open semi-finals on Friday to set up a showdown with Alexander Zverev for the title.

The top-ranked Italian will face the German second seed, who went through to Sunday’s final when Novak Djokovic retired injured from their last-four clash.

Sinner had to save two set points in a tight opening act, but once he took it on a tiebreak he raced past the 22-year-old in 2hr 36min on Rod Laver Arena, despite cramping late in the match.

The centre court crowd had been disappointed earlier when Djokovic called it a day after losing a gruelling first set against Zverev, leaving his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown in tatters.

The 37-year-old Serbian great’s upper left leg was heavily taped and, after he shook hands, he departed to some boos after going down 7-6 (7/5).

Djokovic hinted that he may have played his last Australian Open. “There is a chance. Who knows?” Djokovic said when asked if he may have graced the Melbourne Park courts for the last time.

“I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here. So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come,” he added.

Djokovic has now gone five Grand Slams without winning the title he needs to surpass Margaret Court’s 24 and become the all-time leader.

“I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months,” he said of his Melbourne run. “I liked my chances if I was physically fit and ready to battle.”

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Sinner is on the cusp of a first successful Grand Slam title defence after winning his maiden major crown in Melbourne last year.

He had won the last four of his five career meetings with the explosive young American.

The Italian was not at his best in the opening set, dropping his serve twice and having to dig deep to save two set points with Shelton serving at 6-5.

But the 23-year-old easily took control of the tiebreak to move a set ahead after 71 minutes.

He broke Shelton right at the start of the second and ran away with it in 42 minutes.

The all-action Shelton raised himself for one last effort in the third, lashing running forehand winners in an attempt to turn the tide.

Sinner was not moving freely, seemingly troubled by either cramp or his groin, but he saved two break points and when Shelton then dropped his serve to go 3-2 down, the Italian sprinted to the finish line.

The final will be a battle of the top two seeds with Zverev in his first Australian Open final.

The German has been a Grand Slam runner-up twice before, at last year’s French Open and the 2020 US Open, but has never lifted one of the big four majors.

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MELBOURNE: An emotional Novak Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas Sunday to claim a 10th Australian Open title and equal Rafael Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam crowns, a victory that returned him to world number one.

The Serbian star overcame a hamstring injury and off-court drama on his return to Melbourne Park to sweep past the Greek third seed 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) on Rod Laver Arena.

He surged to victory without father Srdjan in the stands after he sparked controversy by posing with a fan carrying a Russian flag featuring Vladimir Putin’s face following his son’s quarter-final win.

Djokovic climbed to his player’s box after the win to embrace his mother and broke down in uncontrollable tears, collapsing to the ground sobbing.

It capped a remarkable comeback by the 35-year-old fourth seed, who missed last year’s tournament when he was deported over his Covid vaccination stance.

After a three-year ban from Australia was lifted, Djokovic won the lead-up Adelaide International before reinforcing his stature as an all-time great in Melbourne.

The emphatic win drew him level with Nadal on a record 22 Slams, two clear of Roger Federer.

The Spanish great made a shock second-round exit with a hip injury, but is targeting a return for the clay-court season and another crack at the French Open, and with it a 23rd Slam title.

Nadal, though, is set to slide down the rankings when they are released on Monday, in contrast to Djokovic, who will dethrone Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and return to the top for the first time since June. Tsitsipas will climb one place to three.

Both men were back on a court that helped them rise to stardom.

Djokovic won his first Grand Slam in 2008 on Rod Laver Arena while Tsitsipas burst on the scene in 2019 when he stunned defending champion Federer in the last 16.

With sizeable Greek and Serbian communities in Melbourne, and Rod Laver in attendance, there was a raucous atmosphere.

Djokovic came into the match with his confidence high having won all nine of his previous Australian Open finals and with a 10-2 career advantage over the Greek.

Moving freely with only minimal strapping on his troublesome left hamstring, he opened with a comfortable hold after being greeted by huge cheers.

Djokovic worked two break points on Tsitsipas’s opening serve, to no avail, but kept probing and the Greek handed him a break for 3-1 with a careless double fault.

Tsitsipas, in only his second Grand Slam final to Djokovic’s 33rd, appeared nervous, losing the first set in just 36 minutes.

But he battled back into contention in a much closer second set as his confidence grew, improving his serve and winning some pressure points.

He earned his first break point — and set point — when Djokovic blasted a backhand wide.

But the Serb clung on to keep the set on serve and it went to a tiebreak, where his greater experience came to the fore.

Against the odds, Tsitsipas broke for the first time on Djokovic’s opening serve in set three, only to relinquish the advantage immediately after a gripping rally, furious with himself.

It again went to a tiebreak, where Djokovic once again raised a level to claim another title.

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MELBOURNE: Stefanos Tsitsipas said he was living the dream after reaching the Australian Open final Friday for a first time and standing on the cusp of becoming world number one.

The Greek third seed showed grit to defeat Russia’s Karen Khachanov and set up a final against either nine-time Melbourne champion Novak Djokovic or American Tommy Paul.

The 18th-seeded Khachanov threatened a comeback after saving two match points to force the semi-final into a fourth set, before Tsitsipas triumphed 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

Tsitsipas can top the world rankings if he wins his first Grand Slam crown on Sunday.

“I dreamed as a kid to maybe one day get to play in this court against the best players in the world,” Tsitsipas told a sunny Rod Laver Arena after winning an Australian Open semi-final at the fourth attempt.

“So I’m happy with the fight I put out there today. I feel blessed, blessed that I’m able to play tennis at this level.

“I’ve been wanting for many years now to put Greek tennis on the map.”

At 24, Tsitsipas is the youngest man to reach the Australian Open final since a 23-year-old Djokovic in 2011.

Tsitsipas has thrived in Melbourne throughout his career, after bursting on the scene at the 2019 event as a 20-year-old when he dethroned defending champion Roger Federer in the last 16.

He went on to reach the semi-finals that year and again in 2021 and 2022, falling one match short on each occasion.

A Grand Slam crown has remained elusive, with his runner-up showing at Roland Garros in 2021 his best result so far, falling to Djokovic in five sets after holding a 2-0 lead.

‘Couldn’t be more ready’

A confident Tsitsipas opened with a serve to love and applied early pressure, earning a break in game four when US Open semi-finalist Khachanov made a baseline error.

But the advantage didn’t last, with the 26-year-old Russian immediately striking back to level it up when Tsitsipas netted a forehand.

The Greek star was unrelenting on the forehand and forced another break for a 5-3 lead, only for Khachanov to again roar back.

It went to a tiebreak, with Tsitsipas quickly wrapping it up.

Khachanov repelled three break points early in a second set which went with serve until Tsitsipas earned another two after a 22-shot rally at 4-4, and this time he made no mistake.

With the bit between his teeth, the world number four ramped up the pressure to secure a break for 2-1 in the third set, then consolidated.

Khachanov looked down and out but in a late twist broke back when Tsitsipas — two points from victory — sent an overhead volley wide as he served for the match.

It propelled the third set to another tiebreak, where the Greek worked two match points on serve, but failed to convert and the Russian pulled out of the mire to drag it to a fourth set.

Tsitsipas quickly snuffed out any chance of a comeback as he reasserted his dominance to seal a spot in the final.

Afterwards, Tsitsipas struck a confident tone — no matter who he meets in the final.

“Couldn’t be more ready for this moment,” said the Greek, who has enjoyed strong support from Melbourne’s large Greek population.

“I’m playing great tennis. I’m enjoying myself. I just see no downside or negativity in what I’m trying to do out there,” he added.

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