[ad_1]
Novak Djokovic set up a final against Stefanos Tsitsipas after he stayed on course for his 10th Australian Open title in Melbourne on Friday.
The Serbian overcame a first-set wobble to beat unheralded American Tommy Paul 7-5 6-1 6-2 to progress to his 33rd Grand Slam final where he will seek to match Rafael Nadal’s record haul of 22 titles.
A 7-5 6-1 6-2 victory over American Paul looked immediate on the scoreboard but it certainly didn’t feel that way when Djokovic reeled off four straight games from 5-1 down in the opening set.
But he recovered to move to the front and from there it was easy to the finish line.
Djokovic will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in a repeat of the 2021 French Open final when he came from two sets down to defeat the Greek.
Third seed Tsitsipas previously beat Karen Khachanov in four sets to reach his first Australian Open final, while a rematch against Djokovic will see the winner overtake Carlos Alcaraz as world No.1.
The 35-year-old, who set a new record of 27 straight match wins here, said: “I’m very happy to be in another final,” said Djokovic. “I respect him (Tsitsipas) a lot, he has improved a lot over the years. I really think he is one of the most interesting people on the tour with his interests outside the court, his hairstyle. But it’s all about Sunday . Let the best player win.”
At times, the love for the Serbian was palpable at the Rod Laver Arena, with his fans packing the stadium to welcome him back.
But it was different here, with support for first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Paul growing as he threatened to do the unthinkable in the first set.
Djokovic looked nervous at the start but went unpunished, saving two break points in the opening game and coming out on top in all the big moments to move into a 5-1 lead.
He then clashed with umpire Damien Dumusois at the start of the shot clock and badly lost 11 of the next 13 points, dropping serve twice in a row.
But Paul couldn’t hold his own serve to force a tie-break and, to boos from the crowd, Djokovic returned to his seat and gestured for the crowd to get louder.
The victory in the opening set allowed Djokovic, who again showed no signs of being bothered by a left hamstring problem, to let loose a little.
He broke serve at the start of the second set and from there Paul, who was a willing runner with a good backhand but no big weapon, could not land more than a quick blow against Djokovic, who recorded another one-sided victory over him. bid for the 22nd Grand Slam title.
[ad_2]
Source link