Major Novak Djokovic concern amid last-minute change to schedule
Alarm bells are ringing for Novak Djokovic after he skipped practice for the second day in a row ahead of his Australian Open semi-final. The Serb is currently gearing up to face Alexander Zverev o…
Alarm bells are ringing for Novak Djokovic after he skipped practice for the second day in a row ahead of his Australian Open semi-final.
The Serb is currently gearing up to face Alexander Zverev on Friday in what promises to be a huge showdown for a place in Sunday's final.
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Djokovic knows what it means to push through pain in Melbourne.
However, Djokovic has shared his worries about his physical condition after suffering a suspected leg injury during his hard-fought quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
World No.3 Alcaraz could not hide his anger after crashing out against Djokovic, who is currently sixth in the ATP rankings.
The Spaniard questioned a decision towards the umpire during his four-set 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6 loss.
Alcaraz's frustration boiled over in the first set after chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore called a let for a serve, which he felt was out.
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He then accused the umpire of being influenced by Djokovic in a wild claim.
The 21-year-old said: "It’s crazy! It was the let but you stopped because he stopped. I know you stopped because he stopped."
But Djokovic’s hard-fought win could be in vain if his injury proves too much.
While it was no surprise that he opted out of practice on Wednesday, it was concerning to see his Thursday session unexpectedly removed from the schedule.
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He is set to hit on Friday lunchtime in preparation for the semi-final, but questions swirl about the extent of his recovery for yet another clash with a top-three opponent.
Djokovic knows what it means to push through pain in Melbourne, having heroically battled an abdominal strain in 2021 and a hamstring injury just two years ago.
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Alcaraz could not hide his anger after crashing out against Djokovic.Credit: Getty
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Djokovic announced in November he was employing the recently retired Murray as his new coach.Credit: AFP
The victory over Alcaraz was not only a testament to Djokovic's resilience but also a significant moment for Andy Murray in his early coaching journey.
The 24-time major champion announced in November he was employing the recently retired Murray as his new coach.
In the lead-up to the match, Djokovic shared a warm-up with Britain’s world No.77 Jacob Fearnley, who has stayed in Melbourne to prepare for the Davis Cup trip to Japan.
“It was a bit surreal,” said Fearnley.
“I was a bit nervous; he was playing a really big match, so I wanted to make it as good of a warm-up as possible.
“I was pleased when he won; when he started hitting the ball nicely, I was like, ‘Yeah, that was a nice warm-up!’”
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Djokovic shared a warm-up with Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.Credit: Getty
Having been defeated by Zverev in Melbourne and practised with Djokovic, Fearnley is in a unique position to anticipate the intensity of Friday’s semi-final.
“It will be an exceptional match,” he said.
“They're both extremely solid, and both move extremely well. I think there'll be a lot of long rallies.
“A lot of it will come down to serving. Zverev has been serving amazingly, and Djokovic is the best returner we've ever seen. It's going to be extremely close.”
A crucial factor in that anticipated clash will be Djokovic’s fitness after two full days of rest.
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The Serb is scheduled to practice at 1 pm on Friday, just hours before taking on Zverev at 2:30 pm.
Carlos Alcaraz booed by fans as he accuses umpire of being influenced by Novak Djokovic
The second semi-final, set to begin not before 7:30 pm local time, will feature world No. 1 Jannik Sinner facing off against the strong-serving American Ben Shelton.