• UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
NewsExplored
  • UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • LinkedIn

  • Tumblr

  • RSS

Sports

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Zverev & meets Aslan Karatsev next

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Zverev & meets Aslan Karatsev next
Newsexplored
16th February 2021
6
SHARES
ShareTweet
SubscribeRedditGoogleWhatsappStumbleuponPinterestDiggLinkedinTumblrTelegram
Views:
1
Novak Djokovic returns in his Australian Open quarter-final against Alexander Zverev
Eight-time champion Novak Djokovic stretched his recent dominance at the Australian Open to a 19th consecutive match win

Defending champion Novak Djokovic showed yet more mental and physical resilience to beat German sixth seed Alexander Zverev and reach the Australian Open semi-finals.

The top seed fought back to win 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 6-4 7-6 (8-6) in Melbourne.

The Serb will face Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev, who beat an injured Grigor Dimitrov, on Thursday.

Karatsev, ranked 114th in the world, is the first man in the Open era to reach the last four on his Grand Slam debut.

Few will fancy Karatsev – who has largely plied his trade on the second-tier ATP Challenger Tour – to continue his dream run by beating eight-time champion Djokovic.

The 33-year-old world number one looked far from comfortable against Zverev, a result of the German’s big serving and probing groundstrokes as much as the abdominal injury which has bothered him throughout the tournament.

“Down to the very last shot, it was anybody’s match,” said Djokovic, who could only manage a wry smile after taking his second match point with an ace.

“Emotionally I feel a little bit drained, it was a real battle. We pushed each other to the limit.”

Djokovic shows class by dialling in at the key moments

Whether Djokovic would progress to the last four hung in the balance for most of an enthralling match against 23-year-old Zverev.

Momentum swung between the pair as they split a scrappy opening two sets, with the fluctuations continuing as the level increased in the third and fourth.

Afterwards, Djokovic said he was still troubled by the abdominal injury and that perhaps contributed to the tetchiness he showed after allowing the momentum to shift back to Zverev in the third set.

data-ad-format="auto">

Shortly after sitting at the back of the court while Zverev changed racquets, illustrating his exasperation at the delay, Djokovic erupted as he went 4-1 behind.

Three times he ploughed his racquet into the blue court, leaving shards of his frame needing to be swept up by a ball girl before play could resume.

Releasing his frustration paid dividends. Djokovic won the next four games to turn the set in his favour, helped by Zverev’s old habit of producing double faults at crucial times.

Another ferocious roar from Djokovic signified the importance of edging ahead.


That left Zverev with an uphill task if he was going to earn his first victory over a top-10 opponent at a Grand Slam.

Novak Djokovic smashed his racquet as he trailed in the third set
Djokovic laughed afterwards that breaking his racquet allowed him to “regain focus” and shifted the match back in a “positive direction”

An early break in the fourth set boosted the German’s chances, supplemented by a tough hold – where the return of his double-fault demons threatened to let Djokovic back in – for a 3-0 lead.

Not for long, however, as Djokovic broke back in Zverev’s next service game. That enabled the Serb to level at 3-3 and the pair could not be separated until the tie-break.

After missing the first match point with a backhand into the net following a long rally, Djokovic made no mistake with the second.

Djokovic’s subdued celebration was a stark contrast to the manic reaction of his team, who jumped and hugged to celebrate their man reaching a 39th Grand Slam semi-final.

Asked if the abdominal injury was the toughest he had to deal with at a major, he said: “Yes. I have been doing various things to try to put myself in a condition to play.

“I haven’t been practising on the days off and I will do the same. I hope the result will be the same as today.”

Despite his troubles, a defeat by Karatsev on Rod Laver Arena – a court which Djokovic says “feels like home” after his domination of the tournament over the past 13 years – would be a seismic shock ranked among the game’s great upsets.

Karatsev trying to think ’round by round’

Reaching the last four is a remarkable achievement for Karatsev, who grew up playing tennis in Israel after moving there as a three-year-old.

After moving back to Russia with his father aged 12, he trained in Rostov and Moscow as a teenager before continuing a nomadic career which has seen him work with coaches in Spain, Germany and Belarus.

He has become the second qualifier to reach the Australian Open semi-finals after Australian Bob Giltinan in December 1977.

Karatsev is also the lowest-ranked man to reach the last four since Patrick McEnroe, then ranked 114th, did so in 1991.

“It’s amazing that I reached the semi-final from qualifying. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment and not thinking about that too much and playing from round to round,” said the 27-year-old.

“Four months ago I was ranked 116th and my first step was to go to the top 100 by the end of the year 2020. But it didn’t happen.”

Aslan Karatsev
Aslan Karatsev is the first Russian to reach the Australian Open semi-finals since Marat Safin in 2005

Karatsev’s progression was helped by the injury problems for an upset Dimitrov, who needed treatment on his back and was struggling to move by the end of the match.

Karatsev himself looked fatigued in a poor first set, with Dimitrov reeling off five games in a row to take the opener.

Karatsev had to stave off five break points in a 13-minute service game in the early stages of the second set before taking advantage when Dimitrov’s level dipped.

Dimitrov, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park in 2017, repeatedly mouthed “I’m sorry” at his coaching box and struggled to walk up the stairs after the match.

“I got a back spasm yesterday at some point and that was it. We couldn’t fix it on time,” said Dimitrov.

“It happened early in the match. It kept on progressing, and it was unstoppable.”

Banner Image Reading Around the BBC - BlueFooter - Blue

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Itemsalexanderaustralianbeatsdjokovicmeetsnovakzverev
Sports
16th February 2021
Newsexplored @newsexploredweb

Related Itemsalexanderaustralianbeatsdjokovicmeetsnovakzverev

More in Sports

  • Read More
    Brighton 1-2 Leicester: Daniel Amartey scores late winner

    Views:1 Daniel Amartey’s goal was his first this season Daniel Amartey scored a late winner as Leicester...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    European Indoors 2021: Holly Archer takes silver after winning appeal

    Views:1 Holly Archer was involved in a physical 1500m final in Torun, Poland Holly Archer clinched 1500m...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    Rangers 3-0 St Mirren: Hosts move within a point of title

    Views:1 Alfredo Morelos netted from a tight angle to double Rangers’ lead Rangers swept aside St Mirren...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    Burnley 1-1 Arsenal: Grant Xhaka mistake proves costly for Gunners

    Views:1 Chris Wood has scored 22 goals at Turf Moor in the Premier League, the most of...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    England in India: Joe Root says his team would be ‘stupid’ not to learn from defeat

    Views:1 Joe Root (left) has lost his past three Test matches as England captain Captain Joe Root...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    India v England: Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin seal series for hosts

    Views:1 England have lost seven of their past eight Tests in India Fourth Test, Ahmedabad (day three):...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    Jack Willis: England flanker set for ‘up to a year’ out after knee surgery

    Views:1 Willis scored a try in England’s win over Italy but later had 10 minutes of medical...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    Handball, VAR & the ‘Match of the Day mistake’ – by former referee Lee Probert

    Views:1 The handball laws were tightened at the start of the 2020-21 season but will now be...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has no doubts over players’ loyalty to Reds

    Views:1 Liverpool are the first English top-flight reigning champions to lose five consecutive home league games Liverpool...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    Gordon Elliott: What now for racing and trainer after dead horse photo?

    Views:1 Gordon Elliott has sent out more than 1,800 winners during his career Warning – this article...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    A Woman’s Work: The cheerleader who took on the NFL for gender discrimination

    Views:1 Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields took a stand to ask for better pay and conditions for cheerleaders When Lacy...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
  • Read More
    Romain Grosjean suffered 67G in fiery Bahrain GP crash – report

    Views:1 Grosjean’s crash caused the biggest fire in F1 since Gerhard Berger’s accident at the 1989 San...

    Newsexplored 16th February 2021
Scroll for more
Tap
data-ad-format="auto">
NewsExplored

NewsExplored - Making sure all the latest news is explored?

Contact us for help

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • Transfer rumours: Kounde, Haaland, Bremer, Neuhaus, Balogun, Ziyech, Raphinha
    Sports13th February 2021
  • Station reopening at Bow Street brings first trains for 56 years
    UK14th February 2021
  • Manchester United 3-3 Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin scores late goal to deny hosts
    Sports6th February 2021
  • Super Bowl half-time show: How did The Weeknd do?
    Entertainment8th February 2021
  • LeBron James: NBA superstar’s evolution from high school prodigy
    USA4th March 2021
  • What is Biden doing differently at US border?
    USA3rd March 2021
  • Coronavirus: Texas and other states ease rules despite warnings
    USA3rd March 2021
  • Golden Globe Awards 2021: Stars prepare for virtual ceremony
    USA28th February 2021
  • Les Rehrer says:

    Hello Its me :P and thanks for this post

  • optumrx login says:

    Thank For News.

  • Kent Laatsch says:

    Please let me know if you're looking for a writer…

  • Bob says:

    RT News was where I learned that Erdogan controlled isis.…

Copyright © 2018 Top News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress.

Ian Wright ’embarrassed’ by abuse faced by female football pundits
Ravel Morrison: Former Manchester United prodigy on career regrets, ‘thieving boots’ and wanting to play for Arsenal
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok