"Novak Djokovic was not moving that well, I think he was also not that focused" - Jannik Sinner on his 2024 Australian Open SF win
Jannik Sinner has said that Novak Djokovic was not at his best during their semifinal clash at the 2024 Australian Open.
On Friday, January 26, Sinner's dominant performance in Melbourne saw him register a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 win and end Djokovic's 33-match unbeaten run at the tournament.
After taking a two-set lead in just one hour and 13 minutes, he came close to sealing victory in straight sets but squandered a match point in the third set, which Djokovic won in the tie-breaker. However, Sinner bounced back to win the game in four sets.
After the match, Djokovic admitted that it was most probably one of his worst performances at a Grand Slam.
"He outplayed me completely today. I was, in a way, shocked with my level, in a bad way. There was not much I was doing right in the first two sets. I guess this is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I've ever played. At least that I remember," he said at a press conference.
When asked about the same, Sinner admitted that the World No. 1 did not challenge him as much as he was capable of.
"Yeah, for sure the first two sets I saw that he was not hitting the ball as he used to. He was also not moving that well, no, and then I think he was also not that focused like we used to see him, no?" he opined.
"In tennis when you have a bad day, it's also tough to get out as a winner, no? So I realized, especially the first sets, he was not playing that great, but I tried to have the intensity as high as possible, and I took the chance," he added.
Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev stands between Jannik Sinner and a maiden Grand Slam title
With the defeat of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner is through to the final of the 2024 Australian Open — the maiden Grand Slam final of his young career. He is the youngest man to reach a final in Melbourne Park since 2008, when his vanquished semifinal opponent claimed his first Major title.
Next up for Sinner is a clash with either the third seed Daniil Medvedev or the sixth seed Alexander Zverev, the other semifinalists. The Italian said that he will keep an eye on the other semifinal and will be prepared to face either player in the final on Sunday, January 28.
"I would watch it (the other semifinal) for sure because as I said already, I'm a huge tennis fan. So it's good to watch. Also, for me, I'm a bit more relaxed now. They are such incredible players. They have met already so many times. It's gonna be really interesting," he said.
"Sasha, he's playing back at 100%, he is playing great. And then also Daniil. So hopefully it's gonna be a great match. And then we see what's what's coming on Sunday," he added.
Jannik Sinner does not have a good head-to-head record against Medvedev and Zverev on the ATP tour, trailing the former 6-3 and the latter 4-1.