Djokovic Advances Smoothly to Australian Open Final
Novak Djokovic is set to claim his tenth Australian Open title following his victory over Tommy Paul in the semifinal match on Friday. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic is on the verge of making history again after decisively defeating American Tommy Paul on Friday to reach yet another Australian Open final.
Djokovic is set to face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, aiming for his tenth title in Australia. A victory would also tie him with Spanish rival Rafael Nadal for the all-time Grand Slam record, with 22 titles.
The match began with Djokovic exploding out of the gates, racing to a 5-1 lead. However, a brief conversation with the umpire regarding towel usage seemed to interrupt his momentum, leading to two breaks of serve that leveled the score at 5-5.
That proved to be the highlight for Paul. He initially went ahead with a 30-0 lead on his next service game, but Djokovic quickly regained his focus, ultimately capturing the first set 7-5.
From that point onward, it was smooth sailing for the Serbian star, who notched his 27th consecutive win at the Australian Open, breaking a record previously held by Andre Agassi.
Never having lost in an Australian Open final, Djokovic paved his way to another with a 6-1 win in the second set. He continued to dominate in the third set, ultimately claiming the match with a score of 6-2 in just over 2 hours and 20 minutes on the court.
“I have strong memories of 15 years ago, but I wouldn’t have imagined things to have turned out like they have. I’m so blessed and grateful, marvelling and cherishing every moment,” Djokovic expressed afterward.
“[My level is] great, it’s perfect. It’s 110%,” he added, indicating that he seemed unaffected by a hamstring injury that had troubled him earlier in the tournament.
“Stefanos, see you in two days!" he declared.
Djokovic also expressed gratitude for his support team, stating, "I'm super blessed and grateful...," reflecting on the immense effort they put into ensuring his success ahead of another Grand Slam final.
“Of course, you’re not as fresh as in the beginning, but we put in a lot of hours throughout the offseason into fitness to be in a good enough condition to play best of five.
“I know what’s expected of me. Experience helps, but on court, moment to moment, it’s a great battle with yourself and your opponent. You can feel the long rallies; we both had heavy legs. I held my nerves at the end of the first set; that was a key moment where I started swinging through the ball more.”
Djokovic’s journey to the final comes one year after his controversial deportation from Australia amid a vaccination dispute with Australian immigration officials. His initial three-year ban from entering Australia was lifted in November.
Off the court, the Djokovic family faced added drama this week when Novak's father, Srdjan Djokovic, chose not to attend his son's semifinal match after he was seen with supporters waving the Russian tricolor, following Djokovic's win over Russia's Andrey Rublev. Displaying the Russian flag had been prohibited by Tennis Australia earlier in the tournament.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
Djokovic is set to face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, aiming for his tenth title in Australia. A victory would also tie him with Spanish rival Rafael Nadal for the all-time Grand Slam record, with 22 titles.
The match began with Djokovic exploding out of the gates, racing to a 5-1 lead. However, a brief conversation with the umpire regarding towel usage seemed to interrupt his momentum, leading to two breaks of serve that leveled the score at 5-5.
That proved to be the highlight for Paul. He initially went ahead with a 30-0 lead on his next service game, but Djokovic quickly regained his focus, ultimately capturing the first set 7-5.
From that point onward, it was smooth sailing for the Serbian star, who notched his 27th consecutive win at the Australian Open, breaking a record previously held by Andre Agassi.
Never having lost in an Australian Open final, Djokovic paved his way to another with a 6-1 win in the second set. He continued to dominate in the third set, ultimately claiming the match with a score of 6-2 in just over 2 hours and 20 minutes on the court.
“I have strong memories of 15 years ago, but I wouldn’t have imagined things to have turned out like they have. I’m so blessed and grateful, marvelling and cherishing every moment,” Djokovic expressed afterward.
“[My level is] great, it’s perfect. It’s 110%,” he added, indicating that he seemed unaffected by a hamstring injury that had troubled him earlier in the tournament.
“Stefanos, see you in two days!" he declared.
Djokovic also expressed gratitude for his support team, stating, "I'm super blessed and grateful...," reflecting on the immense effort they put into ensuring his success ahead of another Grand Slam final.
“Of course, you’re not as fresh as in the beginning, but we put in a lot of hours throughout the offseason into fitness to be in a good enough condition to play best of five.
“I know what’s expected of me. Experience helps, but on court, moment to moment, it’s a great battle with yourself and your opponent. You can feel the long rallies; we both had heavy legs. I held my nerves at the end of the first set; that was a key moment where I started swinging through the ball more.”
Djokovic’s journey to the final comes one year after his controversial deportation from Australia amid a vaccination dispute with Australian immigration officials. His initial three-year ban from entering Australia was lifted in November.
Off the court, the Djokovic family faced added drama this week when Novak's father, Srdjan Djokovic, chose not to attend his son's semifinal match after he was seen with supporters waving the Russian tricolor, following Djokovic's win over Russia's Andrey Rublev. Displaying the Russian flag had been prohibited by Tennis Australia earlier in the tournament.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
