Australian Open 2023: Novak Djokovic feels he has 'something extra' at this year's tournament

1 year ago 53

Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 16-29 January
Coverage: Commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 'Tennis Breakfast' from 08:00 GMT connected Friday, with unrecorded substance commentary of some men's semi-finals from 03:30

Novak Djokovic feels helium has "something extra" astatine this year's Australian Open arsenic helium prepares to bash conflict for a spot successful the Melbourne final.

Nine-time champion Djokovic hopes to scope a 10th last astatine Melbourne Park erstwhile helium takes connected American Tommy Paul successful the past 4 connected Friday.

For Paul, it marks a maiden Grand Slam semi-final, successful which helium volition look Djokovic for the archetypal time.

Earlier successful the day, 3rd effect Stefanos Tsitsipas volition conscionable Karen Khachanov.

Greece's Tsitsipas is chasing a spot successful his 2nd large last erstwhile helium takes connected Khachanov connected Rod Laver Arena from 03:30 GMT, portion his Russian hostile has ne'er progressed from a Grand Slam semi-final.

Fourth effect Djokovic and Paul volition spell caput to caput from 08:30.

Elsewhere, Britain's Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid pursuit a 4th successive wheelchair doubles rubric erstwhile they instrumentality connected Dutch duo Maikel Scheffers and Ruben Spaargaren successful the final.

Fellow Briton Ranah Stoiber is besides successful enactment successful the inferior girls' singles semi-finals.

Djokovic 'couldn't inquire for a amended situation'

A batch tin hap successful 12 months. One twelvemonth ago, Serbia's Djokovic was absent from the Australian Open having been deported from the country due to the fact that of his Covid-19 vaccine status.

Move the timepiece guardant to the contiguous time and helium is playing immoderate of his finest tennis, a hamstring wounded nary longer hampering him the mode it did successful the aboriginal rounds of the tournament.

"I ever effort to springiness my best, peculiarly successful Grand Slams, due to the fact that astatine this signifier of my vocation those are the tournaments that number the most," said the 35-year-old.

"But you could accidental that determination is thing other this year, yeah. You could accidental due to the fact that the injury, what happened past year. I conscionable wanted to truly bash well.

"So acold I person a cleanable people successful Australian hard courts, successful Adelaide and here. I've been playing amended and better. I couldn't inquire for a amended concern to beryllium successful astatine the moment."

Djokovic has ne'er mislaid a semi-final astatine Melbourne Park, and so ne'er been defeated successful the Australian Open final.

He is favourite to beryllium crowned champion erstwhile again - a feat that would gully him level with men's grounds holder Rafael Nadal connected 22 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic reached the past 4 with objective straight-set wins implicit Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev successful the erstwhile 2 rounds.

"Playing against 2 guys that are truly bully players, in-form players, to bushed them dominantly successful 3 sets, is decidedly thing that I privation successful this moment, thing that sends a connection to each my opponents remaining successful the draw," said Djokovic.

"With this benignant of game, of people the assurance level rises. I consciousness bully connected the court, amended and amended arsenic the tourney progresses. I've been successful this concern truthful galore times successful my life, successful my career, ne'er mislaid a semi-finals successful [the] Australian Open. Hopefully that volition enactment the same."

Standing successful his mode is 25-year-old Paul, who contempt having ne'er gone past the 4th circular of a Slam earlier this tournament, is unperturbed astir facing Djokovic for the archetypal time.

"It's going to beryllium a challenging match. But I'm playing immoderate of my champion tennis, truthful it's a bully time," helium said.

Paul is the archetypal American to scope the semi-finals successful Melbourne since Andy Roddick successful 2009, and should helium win, would beryllium the archetypal subordinate from his state to marque the men's last since Andre Agassi successful 2003.

He is 1 of 10 American men who volition beryllium successful the world's apical 50 astatine the extremity of the Australian Open.

"That's each we've been hearing, since similar 14 years old," said Paul. "The coaches person been telling us, 'We request caller Americans, we request caller Americans'. It's benignant of engraved successful my head.

"We each privation to perform. Obviously Frances [Tiafoe] was beauteous damn adjacent astatine US Open to getting past the semis. Who knows what would person happened successful the finals? I deliberation we each privation it beauteous atrocious for ourselves, but we privation it for US tennis, too."

Tsitsipas 'very hungry' earlier facing Khachanov

Tsitsipas, astatine fig four, is the highest ranked subordinate near successful the gully and has present reached the Australian Open semi-finals successful 4 of the past 5 years.

The 24-year-old, who says the tourney feels similar his "home" major, has won 4 retired of his 5 matches truthful acold successful consecutive sets and credits a alteration of mindset.

"There is this 1 benignant of mode of looking astatine tennis that you're truly exhausted aft each match," helium said. "Every azygous happening you effort to bash connected the tribunal takes a batch of effort.

"There's this different mentation of tennis wherever you're doing your occupation but you're enjoying it truthful overmuch you don't attraction if it's exhausting oregon not. You're refreshed by it each azygous time.

"I deliberation I'm heading towards much of that lately than the different thing. I'm precise blessed to beryllium retired connected the court. I'm precise blessed to beryllium performing. I'm precise blessed to deed immoderate bully shots.

"It's conscionable this full dynamic that has made maine precise bare and has created a batch of tendency for maine to beryllium playing tennis, wanting to execute caller things."

Tsitsipas has won each 5 of their erstwhile meetings. This volition beryllium their archetypal a Grand Slam.

US Open semi-finalist Khachanov should beryllium the fresher of the 2 successful the semi-final, a fourth-round triumph wrapped up successful 3 sets earlier having his quarter-final chopped abbreviated erstwhile hostile Sebastian Korda retired done injury.

The satellite fig 20 is successful caller territory successful Australia, having ne'er antecedently navigated past the 3rd round.

"This clip it's antithetic due to the fact that I'm physically also, aft pre-season, feeling truly bully truthful far," helium said.

"I haven't had agelong matches, truthful it's different, it tin beryllium 3 besides successful the semis. But coming into it I'll beryllium successful physically amended shape."

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