Australia: World number one Novak Djokovic was surprised by his poor performance and loss to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-final on January 26th.
"In a way, I was really shocked by my performance today," Djokovic said in the press conference after losing to Sinner 1-6, 2-6, 7-6(6), 3-6. "I didn't do much in the first two sets. This is probably one of my worst Grand Slam matches."
Djokovic waves to the Melbourne crowd after his loss to Sinner in the Australian Open semi-final on January 26. Photo: ATP
Djokovic admitted he had lost form, but also acknowledged that Sinner played better in every aspect. The Italian held his serve so well that Nole didn't have a single break point in the match, something unprecedented for the Serbian player in a Grand Slam. Sinner also only made 28 unforced errors, significantly fewer than his senior's 54.
One has to go back to the 2005 Australian Open to find a worse start to a Grand Slam tournament than Djokovic's. At 17, Nole had to play in the qualifying rounds and suffered a crushing 0-6, 2-6, 1-6 defeat to Marat Safin on the first day of the main draw.
"I can't explain it," Djokovic said about his poor performance against Sinner. "In fact, I haven't felt like I've been in good form since the start of the tournament. Except for the match against Mannarino, I haven't been able to find the form I usually play in Australia. Reaching the semi-finals of a Grand Slam is a great result for any player, but I always expect the most from myself."
Djokovic asserted that the numbers speak for themselves and proved Sinner's victory was convincing. He said: "Sinner served well, returned the ball well. I wasn't happy with my movement, my forehand, my backhand, everything. Sinner completely dominated, especially in his service games."
Sinner has won 19 of his 20 matches since October 2023, his only loss being the ATP Finals final to Djokovic. The Italian player would rise to world number three if he wins this weekend. Djokovic believes that working with coach Darren Cahill – who has coached world number ones like Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Simona Halep – has helped Sinner improve his shot.
"Sinner is much calmer now. Before, he could get into trouble at crucial moments in big matches," Djokovic added.
Djokovic's loss to Sinner ended his 33-match unbeaten streak in Melbourne over the past six years. It was his first defeat in the semi-finals or final of the Australian Open in 21 matches. While he missed the chance to extend his Grand Slam record to 25 titles, Djokovic is still guaranteed to retain his world number one ranking after the tournament.
Vy Anh
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