Novak Djokovic plays Jannik Sinner on Friday at Rod Laver Arena to try to extend his 33-match winning streak at the Australian Open.
In the six years that have passed, just two opponents have managed to push the world number one to five sets. The last defeat at Melbourne Park came in the fourth round against Chung Hyeon back in 2018.
Sinner looks to be the favorite to break Djokovic’s run of victories, even though the player looked to have bounced well from his sickness at the beginning of the fortnight. Djokovic defeated Taylor Fritz in a four-set quarterfinal match.
Last season, the 22-year-old led Italy to the title at the Davis Cup and ATP Finals, when he defeated Djokovic twice in quick succession. He is the only player in the men’s tournament who hasn’t lost a set.
“This is what I practice for, to play against the best players in the world,” Sinner remarked. “He obviously has a fantastic record here, so playing against him is enjoyable for me, especially as the tournament nears its conclusion and things get a little more exciting.
“I’m eager to get started. It will be difficult. I’m aware of this. Giving it my all, adopting the proper mindset, and battling for every ball is what I will control. Next, the result is revealed. I can’t do more than this. Who my opponent is doesn’t really matter.”
Sinner advanced to his first grand slam semifinal at Wimbledon last summer, but Djokovic—who is just one set away from a record-breaking 25 major titles—beat him in straight sets.
Though his route through the Melbourne draw has not been particularly easy, there is little doubting his determination to keep winning the major trophies.
“I’m aware of the streak that I’m on and the amount of matches that I have won in my career on the Rod Laver Arena,” Djokovic stated.
“I wish I could let that go. The more consecutive wins there are, the more the confidence and expectations rise along with the readiness to go above and beyond.”
The third-seeded Daniil Medvedev and the sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev square off against each other in the second semifinal.
Zverev stunned the top four with his biggest slam victory on Wednesday over Carlos Alcaraz, while Medvedev is attempting to make it to his third final at Melbourne Park in the previous four years.
Despite not being the best of friends, Medvedev and Zverev have played each other eighteen times before, although oddly never at a slam.
Having won five of the six games they played previous season, Russian Medvedev leads the head-to-head 11-7; but, Zverev’s recovery from a major ankle injury took some time.
In 2020, the German lost his sole grand slam final at the US Open. “A lot of matches were extremely close,” he stated.
“A lot of the time, it came down to him playing some of the best tennis of his life last year and being incredibly confident, and me recovering from an injury and lacking the confidence to make crucial plays and close out matches.
It’s evident that he’s quite challenging to play. Without a doubt. He’s currently among the top players in the world. However, I’m content with my current situation and will do every effort to win that game on Friday.”
