January 30, (THEWILL) — Novak Djokovic defeated world number two Jannik Sinner 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-4 in the Australian Open semi-final on Rod Laver Arena, reaching his 11th final at the tournament.
The 38-year-old’s victory over the two-time defending champion came after more than four hours of intense play, during which he saved 16 break points and produced some of his finest tennis in recent months.
The Serbian’s physical condition appeared precarious throughout the match.
He vomited beside the court during the second set whilst leading 4-2, yet immediately followed with three consecutive aces to hold serve.
Between points in later sets, Djokovic leaned heavily on his racket and performed yoga-like stretches, at one point collapsing onto his bench with a towel draped over his face for nearly 30 seconds.
Djokovic had not won a set in five days heading into the semi-final, having received a walkover against Jakub Menšík in the fourth round and benefiting when Lorenzo Musetti suffered a groin injury during their quarter-final.
His path to the last four included a controversial third-round incident when he struck a ball that narrowly missed hitting a ball attendant.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted after the Musetti match that he had been “on my way home” before his opponent’s injury.
The turning point arrived in the fourth set when Djokovic won 77 per cent of points on his first serve, landing 79 per cent of first deliveries with speeds approaching 130 mph.
His forehand, which had misfired earlier in the tournament, began firing with the precision that characterised his milestone victories over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
After Sinner claimed the third set, Djokovic broke immediately in the fourth and maintained momentum through the deciding set.
Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, seeking his 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam crown.
The victory marked his 54th Grand Slam semi-final appearance and extended his record of reaching the final four in five consecutive majors despite entering the tournament without a set victory against younger rivals in recent encounters.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
