Australian Open 2024 semis: Jannik Sinner ends Novak Djokovic's hunt for 11th title
The Italian fourth seed is through to his first Grand Slam final in Melbourne after a four-set win over world number one Djokovic, who was bidding for a record 25th Grand Slam title and 11th in Australia. Sinner will meet Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Tennis
Italy's Jannik Sinner has become the first man to defeat Novak Djokovic in an Australian Open semi-final after a stunning 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 win in Melbourne on Friday (26 January).
The 22-year-old fourth seed – who missed a match point in the third-set tiebreak for a straight-sets victory – was dominant throughout, with his Serbian opponent committing 54 unforced errors in an uncharacteristic performance.
Djokovic, whose 10 Australian Open titles and 24 Grand Slam crowns are the most for any male tennis player, had never lost in any of his prior semi-final appearances in Melbourne, but did not play close to his best, being broken five times by Sinner.
The 36-year-old Serb, who had not lost in 33 matches at the Australian Open, put up a decent fight in the third set, forcing the tiebreak and saving a match point. But he was ultimately powerless to stop what television pundits described, maybe prematurely, as a "changing of the guard" to the man 14 years his junior.
Sinner's victory was complete in 3 hours, 22 minutes, sealing the match with a blazing forehand winner. It makes him the youngest men's singles finalist in Melbourne since Djokovic, who was then 20 years old, in 2008.
"It feels amazing, honestly, it was a tough match - I knew this would be before," Sinner told Eurosport. "In the third set, the level was even, I had match point in the tiebreak… but this is tennis. I was serving great today."
Sinner will play Daniil Medvedev in the final on Sunday after he beat Olympic champion Alexander Zverev 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in the second semi.