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Novak Djokovic’s bid for an 11th Australian Open title ended in disappointment as he retired with an injury in his semi-final clash against Alexander Zverev.
The Serbian, aiming for a 25th Grand Slam title, withdrew after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in 80 minutes. Despite a valiant effort to manage a muscle tear suffered in his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic could no longer endure the pain.
After volleying into the net on set point, Djokovic shook Zverev’s hand and waved to the crowd. Yet, some fans at Rod Laver Arena greeted his exit with boos, a reaction he acknowledged with a double thumbs-up.
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“I did everything I possibly could to manage the muscle tear,” Djokovic said.
“Towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much to handle for me.”
Speaking to the crowd, the German second seed defended Djokovic, saying: “Please, don’t boo when a player is injured. If he cannot continue, it means he really cannot continue.”
Djokovic’s injury had been a concern since his dramatic quarter-final. He grimaced after lunging for a drop shot and did not practice between matches, raising doubts about his fitness. Although he has overcome injuries to win titles before, including a three-centimeter hamstring tear in 2023, this time the challenge proved insurmountable.
The semi-final started competitively, with both players engaging in long rallies. However, Zverev failed to capitalise on early break points, allowing Djokovic to remain competitive. Reflecting on the match, Zverev said: “I thought it was a high-level set. Maybe in the tie-break, he was not moving as well.”
Djokovic’s exit shocked many, but Zverev now has a golden opportunity to claim his maiden Grand Slam.
Sinner and Zverez to play 2025 Australian Open men singles final
Zverev, who remains in pursuit of his first Grand Slam title, will now face World number one Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final. Sinner defeated Shelton 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-2 in the other semi-final on Friday.
Over the past 12 months, Italy’s Sinner has been in incredible form, entering the final on a 20-match winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since October 2 of last year.
Tags: Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverez, Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open, Ben Shelton, Jannik Sinner, #AusOpen, #AussieOpen, first Grand Slam of the year, #NewsRoundTheClock, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcnigeria, #nrtcnews, #nrtcsports.
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