Serbia’s Novak Djokovic waved to fans after defeating Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the men’s singles quarter-final match on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. Djokovic delivered an impressive performance, advancing to the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Rublev, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena. He is now set to face unseeded American Tommy Paul, who triumphed over countryman Ben Shelton with a score of 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
“I cannot be happier with my tennis, honestly,” Djokovic remarked after reaching his 10th semi-final at Melbourne Park, a feat surpassed only by Roger Federer (15) and Jack Crawford (11). The 35-year-old expressed his satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I’ve been playing very solid from the back of the court, and I really love playing in these conditions and on this court.” He acknowledged Rublev’s talent, saying, “Andrey is a great opponent, a great player. I have tons of respect for him; he has one of the biggest forehands and is one of the quickest players on the tour.” Djokovic emphasized the importance of executing his game plan effectively.
Despite his quest for a record-extending 10th Australian Open title being challenged by a left hamstring strain sustained earlier in the month, Djokovic has shown resilience. After struggling physically in the early rounds, he dominated in his fourth-round match against Alex de Minaur and displayed few issues against Rublev. This victory marked Djokovic’s 44th Grand Slam semi-final appearance, narrowing the gap to Roger Federer’s all-time record of 46. Additionally, he achieved a remarkable milestone by securing his 26th consecutive match win at the Australian Open, equaling Andre Agassi’s Open-era record for the longest winning streak at this prestigious tournament.
Before the match, the odds seemed stacked against Rublev, who entered with a 0-6 record in Grand Slam quarter-finals, especially after being pushed to five sets by Holger Rune in the fourth round. Djokovic quickly found his rhythm, overcoming a shaky start that included a double fault on his opening serve. Rublev struggled early, also committing a double fault to start the match. Djokovic capitalized on Rublev’s serving jitters, breaking his serve at 2-1 and racing to a 4-1 lead. He converted a fifth break point to take the first set in just 39 minutes, leaving Rublev unable to respond to Djokovic’s precision and power.
In the second set, Djokovic maintained his momentum, seizing an opportunity in game four after a lengthy rally, during which Rublev faltered with a backhand error. Another break of serve left Rublev frustrated as he fell two sets behind. Although he took a bathroom break between sets in hopes of regrouping, Djokovic returned with renewed intensity, breaking Rublev’s serve in the opening game and continuing to dominate throughout the match.
Comments are closed for this story.