Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his quarterfinal match against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo) MELBOURNE: The 38-year-old, competing in a record-extending 54th major semi-final, trailed world No.5 Lorenzo Musetti for two sets in the quarter-finals before advancing when his opponent was forced to retire with what appeared to be a torn abductor. Musetti let his one-handed backhand, a shot of rare beauty, rip before an injury abruptly halted the match.The 23-year-old Italian, some 15 years younger than his legendary opponent, led 6-4, 6-3 but dropped the match in the last eight in the third set (1-3).A devastated Musetti said: “I felt it at the beginning of the second set. I was playing really, really, really well, but I could feel the pain building up and the problem didn’t go away. I never imagined that they would be two sets to zero against Novak and I would play like this and be forced to retire. Of course, it is really painful.”Djokovic, who looked a little dazed as he arrived at the post-match conference nearly an hour behind schedule, got off to a good start at Rod Laver Arena, breaking early but his younger opponent wouldn’t let him hold it.“I don’t want to take anything away from Musetti’s variety, the quality of his tennis today,” he said. “But I think I performed worse than the level I’ve performed so far in the tournament.The 24-time major winner, seeking an 11th Australian Open title, went through the first three rounds without dropping a set. And by the time Djokovic reached the fourth round, it looked like he was on the way. “I have to play better, there’s no doubt about that,” Djokovic said. “I know that if I feel good and the body holds up, then I always have a chance. It’s a Grand Slam semi-final, so in terms of confidence level and motivation, it’s always there. It has to be. Otherwise, what’s the point of competing?” Djokovic, who had a trainer on court to tend to his blisters, has reached the semi-finals of the last five majors he has played but has not won any of his last four matches.“If you play team sports, you might go out and have someone replace you in a set, and then you’ll address your physical issues and you might have a better chance of finishing the match, but that’s not possible in our sport,” he said. “You always have to be at your best, and especially in the closing stages of a Grand Slam. We all work hard, but sometimes things like that happen in the heat of a fight when you strain your body.” In the final encounter on Friday, Djokovic will face Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champion who advanced to the quarter-finals against American Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.Friday’s last-four clash will be the duo’s 11th meeting with the second-seeded Italian, a dazzling striker who has won the last five meetings, starting in November 2023. The 24-year-old Sinner leads the head-to-head match 6-4.“I’ve lost to Jannik five times in a row, he plays at such a high level. He and Carlos are the two best players in the world,” Djokovic said. “He’s the absolute favourite, but you never know. Hopefully I’ll get my A-game for this match because that’s what it’s going to take to at least have a chance.”It is the fifth time that Sinner and Djokovic have met in a major semi-final.“These are the moments you train for and hopefully you can play your best,” Sinner said. “It doesn’t matter what the result is, we’re still lucky that Novak is playing great tennis, hopefully it will be a great battle.”
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