Novak Djokovic admitted he was lucky to have the Serbian great reach the semi-finals against two-time defending champion Janik Sinner or Ben Shelton after opponent Lorenzo Musetti withdrew injured on Wednesday.
Earlier on Day 11 in Melbourne, Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina both won in straight sets and will compete for a spot in the final.
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The tennis gods are smiling on Djokovic, 38, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title.
His last-16 opponent Jakub Mensik retired without hitting a shot and now Musetti was forced to retire with Italy leading 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 at Rod Laver Arena.
The fifth-seeded Musetti performed well when his upper right leg required treatment, but was forced to throw in the towel when his movement was severely hampered.
“I feel really bad for him, he’s the better player and I’m on my way home tonight,” said Djokovic, who was uncharacteristically error-prone and had his eyes on the club.
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“It’s happened to me a few times. He was totally in control.
“It’s so unfortunate, I don’t know what else to say.
“He should have been the winner today, no question. I was very lucky to get through it today.”
Since his last major title at the 2023 US Open, Djokovic has been trying to overtake Margaret Court to claim the landmark 25-stroke title.
With the emergence of Sinner and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, that becomes increasingly difficult.
Djokovic, who required treatment for blisters during the match, added: “I will be praying twice as much tonight and thank God for giving me this opportunity again.”
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Italian second seed Sinner and American eighth seed Shelton will face off in the final match of the day, with Djokovic waiting in the semifinals.
– Pegula clashes with Rybakina –
Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, defeated second seed Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 to seal a spot in the semi-finals.
Pegula swept past Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) to win an All-American match.
Rybakina previously reached the Melbourne final in 2023, when she lost in a tough three sets to Aryna Sabalenka.
The 26-year-old fifth-seeded player took her latest victory in stride and said a calm mind helps in the heat of battle.
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“In the beginning, of course you’re more emotional when it’s the first final and you’re this far in the championship,” Rybakina said.
“Right now I feel like I’m just doing my job and trying to improve every day. So it’s another day, another game.”
Swiatek had previously won Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the U.S. Open, but the loss prevented her from winning another four career Grand Slams.
Sixth seeds Pegula and Rybakina have won three each of six matches so far.
Pegula has yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year and is on the verge of winning her first Grand Slam title at the age of 31.
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“It’s awesome,” Pegula said of her first Australian semifinal appearance after defeating defending champion Madison Keys in the previous round.
Fourth seed Anisimova was helped by her error-prone performance, with 44 unforced errors to Pegula’s 21.
Eventually, her frustration boiled over and her hopes of a third consecutive Grand Slam title were dashed by a blur of mistakes.
Two-time champion Sabalenka faces Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina in the other semifinal.
Pacific Standard Time/MP
