He should have won today - these were the words of Novak Djokovic after reaching the semifinals of a Grand Slam, his fifth in a row.
The great champion's statement perhaps best describes the Australian Open quarterfinal match between him and Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian was flying around Rod Laver Arena, leading 2-0 in sets, before having to retire in the third due to injury.
The guy from Tuscany thus did not achieve his greatest success in Melbourne, he only became the third Italian tennis player among four in this tournament, while those who love Djokovic will certainly be glad to continue watching the legend at one of the last Grand Slams of his career.
"I feel very sorry for him, he was better, and I was on my way home. I don't know what to say, but these things happen in sports. I want him to recover," added the man who has 24 Grand Slam titles in the trophy room, 10 from the Australian Open.
In total, Novak reached his 54th Grand Slam semifinal, and his 13th at the Australian Open.
He also became the second oldest player in history to reach the top four in Melbourne. Djokovic reached the semifinals at the age of 38 years and 241 days, older than only Ken Rosewall, who was 42 years and 60 days old in 1977.
Djokovic rested in the previous round after Jakub Menšík also withdrew due to injury, and in the grand final he will play against the winner of today's duel between Janik Siner and Ben Shelton.
"Of course we will analyze our rival in the semi-finals, but I always want to think about my game first. Until this duel, she was excellent here in Melbourne, but now I am not satisfied. I believe I will bring her back in the next match," said Djokovic.
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