I saw how Novak Djokovic behaved against Lorenzo Musetti – Jannik Sinner should be ready | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic admitted he should have been ‘on the way home’ when Lorenzo Musetti retired (Image: Getty)
Novak Djokovic looked on course to suffer his earliest Australian Open exit since 2018 as he trailed Lorenzo Musetti by two sets to love during Wednesday afternoon’s quarter-final. The 10-time former champion here looked sharp during his first three matches, and everyone expected that an extra few days of rest would only give Djokovic a boost, as he got a walkover into the quarters when Jakub Mensik pulled out of the tournament.
Instead, a different Djokovic showed up to Rod Laver Arena for his 11th career meeting with Musetti. The 38-year-old had only lost one match to the world No. 5 before, but he almost suffered a second defeat. The only thing that saved him was a sudden injury for Musetti, who retired leading 6-4 6-3 1-3. Djokovic himself said he should have been “on the way home”.
There was a false start when the fourth seed broke early to lead 2-0, firing down winners as Musetti made too many mistakes. But from then until the 23-year-old Italian got injured, it wasn’t pretty.
Djokovic made 31 unforced errors in the first two sets. He looked out of sorts and wouldn’t even chase down some balls. Musetti looked like the better player right until he called the trainer at 1-2 in the second set – though he later revealed he’d been in pain since the start of set two.
You wouldn’t have known it. The fans on Rod Laver Arena were dazzled by the No. 5 seed and his one-handed backhand. Musetti stayed aggressive and took it to Djokovic, who looked a step slower than his opponent, and hit some of his infamous ‘Djokosmashes’ – missing overheads.
The crowd still tried to get behind the 10-time former champion, especially when he had an opening in one of Musetti’s service games. But that didn’t happen as often as Djokovic would have liked – he made three of six break points, while Musetti went five out of 11.
Then, Djokovic regained control. He broke Musetti to love, and the fans were excited – maybe the 24-time Major winner could turn this around and turn it into an epic battle, maybe his quest for a historic 25th Grand Slam title wouldn’t end here. And it didn’t, but not for the reasons anyone would have hoped.
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Novak Djokovic knows he must raise his level when he faces Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals (Image: Getty)
The Italian had a three-minute medical timeout in the first changeover of set three. He tried to play on, but didn’t even make it through two games before shaking his head and throwing in the towel.
Djokovic knew this was a lifeline. “He was the far better player, I was on my way home,” he told the crowd. However, this could be exactly the wake-up call the world No. 4 needs if he wants to beat Jannik Sinner and reach his first Grand Slam final in two-and-a-half years.
“I’m going to double my prayers tonight of gratitude to the God for really giving me the opportunity. I’m going to do my best in a couple of days to use it,” Djokovic added. It should serve as something of a warning to Sinner, who has won his last five matches against the Serb and leads their head-to-head 6-4.
The 38-year-old won’t want to waste the opportunity he was given to continue his run in Melbourne. And he’s already well aware that his performance was subpar compared to the first three rounds.
“I think I’ve underperformed for the level that I showed throughout this tournament up to today. So, yeah, I have to play better. I mean, no doubt about it. I know that if I’m feeling well and the body is holding on and I’m playing well, then, I mean, I always have a chance,” he later said.
“I know that it’s only going to get tougher from here, but I have to be ready for it. Now, I cannot predict the result of whether I’m going to play well or not, but I’m definitely going to give my best.”
Djokovic knows he has something of a second chance, and the poorer showing against Musetti could have been exactly the thing he needed to remind himself that he can’t let his level drop – especially at this stage of the competition. He’s already taken out one young Italian, even if by retirement, and the fourth seed will want to send another one home.
