Australian Open: After remaining on track to win a record-extending 10th Australian Open championship in Melbourne on Friday, Novak Djokovic lined up a final against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Serbian defeated unheralded American Tommy Paul 7-5 6-1 6-2 after overcoming a shaky start to get to his 33rd Grand Slam final, where he will attempt to match Rafael Nadal’s record total of 22 championships.
It may have been easy on the scoreboard, but Djokovic’s 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 victory over American Paul was anything but when he dropped four straight games after taking a 5-1 lead in the first set.
But he bounced back to take the lead and then cruised to the line.
In a rematch of their 2021 French Open final, where Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas after falling behind two sets to none, the Serbian will face the Greek.
In order to go to his first Australian Open final, third-seeded Tsitsipas defeated Karen Khachanov in four sets. The victor of Tsitsipas’ rematch with Djokovic will replace Carlos Alcaraz as the top-ranked player in the world.
The 35-year-old, who in this match broke the previous record of 27 straight victories, said: “I’m simply incredibly delighted to get to another final.” “I have a lot of respect for him (Tsitsipas), who has developed significantly over time. With his interests off the court and his hairdo, I genuinely think he’s one of the most interesting people on the tour. But on Sunday, it’s all business. Let the player who performs the best prevail.”
When the Serbian returned, his supporters filled Rod Laver Arena, giving the impression that it was a love-in.
But things were different here, with support for Paul, a first-time Grand Slam semifinalist, rising as he appeared poised to pull off the unbelievable in the opening set.
Although Djokovic initially appeared uneasy, he did not pay for it. He saved two break points in the first game and triumphed in all the crucial situations to take a 5-1 lead.
He then got into an argument with umpire Damien Dumusois about when to start the shot clock and, amazingly, dropped serve twice in a row while losing 11 of the following 13 points.
The fans booed when Djokovic returned to his seat and gestured for the volume to increase because Paul was unable to maintain his serve to force a tie-break.
Djokovic was able to relax a little after winning the first set because he once more gave no indication that his strained left hamstring was bothering him.
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