Jannik Sinner Laments Missed Opportunities in the Fourth and Fifth Set Against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open Semifinal

Jannik Sinner endured one of the most painful losses of his career on Friday (January 30), when he fell to Novak Djokovic in five sets at the Australian Open. The Italian star had a chance to claim the win at one point in the match after leading two sets to one, but he was unable to close out the match before Djokovic rallied back into the tie.

Before their clash at Melbourne Park, Sinner had defeated Djokovic five consecutive times and had won 10 successive sets in the process. However, Djokovic hit back at the Italian star after losing the first set, playing at a constantly staggering level against a phenomenal player who seemingly had all the firepower in him again.

Djokovic took a big gamble against Sinner as he matched the World No.2’s aggressive approach on the court, serving with more precision and displaying his never-say-die attitude. However, Sinner had more winners than Djokovic, 72-46; he also earned more points on first and second serves during the match.

But Sinner’s problem came down to breaking points. While Djokovic showed resilience in the match, he also made sure to give his best when it mattered most. He saved 16 out of his 18 break points, while Sinner managed to convert two of his 18 break point opportunities, which came mainly in the fourth and fifth sets.

Djokovic went on to beat Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in four hours at Melbourne Park, sealing a place in the final of the Grand Slam tournament. During Sinner’s post-match press conference, he reflected on his inability to close out the match when it mattered, which gave Djokovic the advantage to claim the decisive victory eventually:

It hurts a lot. I had many opportunities, I didn’t take advantage of them, and that’s the result. I mean, it was a very important Grand Slam for me, obviously, also taking into account the whole context. These things can happen. It was a good match from both of us. In the end, tennis is played between two people. On the other side of the net today was a great player. At times I made decisions that perhaps were not the right ones.

Sinner and his coach, Darren Cahill, will return to the drawing board after the Australian Open loss. This is the first time Sinner will not be in a Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2024, where Carlos Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in straight sets. He has also won just two of his last five Grand Slams on tour.

Jannik Sinner admits he wasn’t surprised at Novak Djokovic’s performance in the semi-finals

Heading into the semi-finals on Friday (January 30), Novak Djokovic was written out as the player to leave the court with a victory. In fact, after luckily avoiding defeat against Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals, it was expected that Jannik Sinner would breeze past him. But the 24-time Grand Slam champion proved his doubters wrong, producing a clinical performance.

During the aforementioned press conference, Sinner was asked if he was surprised by Djokovic’s performance at the tournament. The 24-year-old pointed out that he was not surprised, stressing that Djokovic is the greatest player, having won 24 Grand Slams in his career:

He’s won 24 Grand Slams. We know each other very well, how we play. I always said, [you can not be] surprised, because I feel like he’s the greatest player for many, many years. Of course, he’s playing less tournaments because of his age and everything, but we also know how important Grand Slams are for me, for him, for Carlos, and everyone. There is this small extra motivation, and he played great tennis.

Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Australian Open. The Serbian legend holds a 5-4 lead over the Spaniard and defeated him last year in the tournament’s quarter-finals. However, Alcaraz claimed a straight-sets victory over Djokovic in the semi-finals of the US Open last year.

Also Read: Elena Rybakina Extends Astonishing Top-10 Winning Streak After Beating Aryna Sabalenka in Australian Open Final

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