Despite injury concerns, Novak Djokovic continues to move through the Australian Open draw. Up next for the world No. 1 during quarterfinal action on Tuesday is 2020 U.S. Open finalist Alexander Zverev.
Usually, an Australian Open match that involves Novak Djokovic is fairly easy to call. The Happy Slam is Djokovic’s personal playground. Not to the extent that Paris is Rafael Nadal’s, but the Serb holds eight Aussie Open titles; when he’s in the draw and healthy, he’s the favorite.
The problem is that he doesn’t appear to be completely healthy. During his third-round match against American Taylor Fritz, Djokovic slipped on the “Melbourne” lettering on the back of the court and sustained some sort of injury to his side. The extent of the injury is still unclear.
Djokovic didn’t withdraw from his fourth-round match. In fact, he looked quite spry against his familiar punching bag in Milos Raonic. The top seed won in four sets, but during his post-match presser Djokovic refused to give more details.
“I understand that you want to know, but I really don’t want to get into it,” he said. “Yes, I did an MRI, I did everything, I know what it is, but I don’t want to talk about it now.”
He didn’t appear overly hampered against Raonic, but the Canadian–who is just short of helpless when Djokovic is across the net–isn’t well-positioned to take advantage, even when the Serb isn’t at 100%
Quarterfinal opponent Alexander Zverev is a different story. The two men played about a week and a half ago at the ATP Cup, when Djokovic was playing at 100 percent. The German took one set and pushed Djokovic hard in the others. It stands to reason if the world No. 1 is ailing at all, it presents quite an opportunity for Zverev.
There are many “ifs” in this match. If Djokovic is still hurt, Zverev will have his chances–and he’s playing well enough to take them. If Zverev serves poorly and gives the Serb too many looks at his dismal second serve, it won’t much matter if Djokovic is only at 75 percent. It seems that while Djokovic isn’t terribly hurt, he’s also not in peak shape. Zverev may just pull off the upset.
Cheryl pick: Zverev in 5
Ricky pick: Zverev in 5
Djokovic is obviously not injured; it’s just some discomfort on which a drama has been built. Claiming that you have a torn muscle and then refusing to disclose medical scan results proves a complete lack of character, but we knew that already.
That being said, he’s not playing his best tennis and this whole circus that he started is going to turn against him sooner rather than later.
Zverev to beat him fair and square and Djokovic to suggest that it’s because of the injury (maybe even retire).
Just my words.
If Djokovic can snap one of the two first sets, he will probably play the full match with some circus performances during the match to show people that he obviously aint playing 100%.
It’s very close, as close it can get.
Djokovic in 5.
Zverev in 4.
Nah Zverev is not beating Novak, histrionics or not, lol!! Hope match lives up to it’s billing though!
They all look like 5 set matches except Nadal v Tsitsipas which is 4 sets.
Zverev can win. I have Djokovic just winning but the circumstantials can swing it in Zverev’s favour.
No poll on how many MTO’s Djoker requests? What’s the over/under on that? I’m guessing Djoker won’t reveal the name of his injury because he’s embarrassed about how minor it is after all the fuss he made about it.
Djerker in 5. He’s a jerk but he plays tennis very well. Zverev tends to wilt under pressure. Sorry Sasha but it it what it is.
I’m totally done with Joker ( “Djerker”…above comment!!)…..Zv in 4.
I don’t for a second believe they are faking injuries’ – Patrick Mouratoglou on Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Novak- Zverev 3-1
First set Zverev
Both of them (Rafa and Novak) have obviously some discomfort but their approach at dealing with this pain and how much they show/tell is VERY different.
As we know, the practice of tennis is very harsh on one’s body, if they had some serious issue they would already have pulled out, simple as that.
Ricky n Cheryl both getting the pick wrong. Never bet against djoker .he did great job fooling all with his injury..he will lose even more respect but win the slam
can’t believe this Zverev?!? He wins the first set and instead of gaining momentum his game just falls apart in the second.. I am not able to watch the match but just by following the live score I notice Sasha is just being outplayed right now… and I assume Novak is not injured as expected: his serve percentage is high and he is destroying Zverev right now…
Zverev is not playing to win he is playing not to lose.
No one with a stomach tear would attempt to smash a racquet like that.
Good point. Maybe for Djerker racquet smashes have healing effects.
Playing ping pong with Djokovic is as good as handing him the match even before the match starts.
So Nole is in the final again!
No disrespect to Karatsev but he ain’t gonna beat him…
Karatsev will not fear Djokovic one bit. I’m really looking for to the encounter.
I will crunch my numbers now and see what the expected result is
Yeah, he may not fear him, but he still won’t beat Novak!!
Zverev had way more chances than anyone in this tourney is ever going to have! Astonishing!!
Lets go Nole, what a beast! Lets go and claim the AO.
Congratulations AVN (you are very lonely here as a Novak fan)
But, he needs to get pass the SF first 🙂
I have this being really close. 4-5 sets with a slight edge to Djokovic. Karatsev can win. No BS.
Nadal just wins also by the barest of margins. Could go 5 sets.
No chance .a qualifier against novak in his kingdom ? I’d be surprised if it’s not straight sets
What’s really embarrassing is my results data was incorrect the whole time but I’m now fixed it. No wonder my predictions were off.
So wat r u saying for rafa tsitsi ?
Wat result data r u talking abt ? It’s what they do on court that matters right on the day .is it based on past results ?
break points converted:
Nole 67% (6 out of 9).
Zverev 25% (3 out of 12).
That’s the whole story right there!! These r the bare intangibles that matter!
Racket reaching breaking point:
Nole 100 %
Zverev 0 %
Does anyone else think the Zverev sleeveless look is really quite bizarre?!!😀
I do! He does not have the guns for it!! Lol! Not like a certain u know who!!
Exactly Mona! Just what I was thinking!😀😀
lol Good description!
Novak is a disgrace. Lying about his injury being a tear. You look at how Rafa has handled his back injury. It was obviously bothering him in his first two matches. But no drama. He just kept working and getting treatment. Such a difference between these two.
I have no respect for Novak. Now he has a ticket to the final. Sickening,
I understand how you feel NY, but it was up to Zverev to play his game and not let Novak’s ‘injury’ bother him or even Novak’s smashing of the racket, bcoz we all know that’s how he stays! Zverev should have expected it!! But instead he let it affect his play. If was Roger or Rafa, esp Roger, they would have just played better and piss Novak off even more!!! But instead, soon after Novak smashed his racket the momentum of the game shifted in his favour, and that was that!!
Mona,
I agree that it was up to Zverev to deal with Nivak’s antics. But it is Novak’s behavior overall too many times that bothers me. We have seen this drama before with him. I dislike the way he handles it.
I did not see the match but the score shows that it was close and a real battle. Zverev needs to step up if he wants to beat Novak. But the manner in which Novak handled the injury was appalling. Be honest with people. Don’t play games and say you have a tear but you are still playing. If he has an mri why not just tell what it showed? I am just really fed up with his antics.
Yeah, that’s tennis.
I have a new nickname for Djerker. Tear Djerker! He can be TD on the (increasingly rare) days when he behaves his miserable self. I’m disgusted by Djerker’s behavior. Tear indeed! But I have no love for Zverev either.
Rafa can win or lose, but he’ll go home happy knowing that he worked hard and gave his best, as he always does.
I have almost become a fan of Djokovic and Nadal, and I’m loving the way they both play tennis right now. I do think they both are injured; they just deal with it in different ways (and Novak has said he’s on heavy painkillers, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to handle it). I kind of hope they meet in another final, but not as much as I want to see Karatsev win it all! The guy looks like someone who walked off the street…until he starts hitting the tennis ball.
No way Joe!! I think this year 2021 is Rafa’s turn for the title to make it his #21!! Lol!! I don’t care what anybody say, this year this title is going Rafa’s way!!!
I swear i said in a previous post that I have no expectations for Rafa!! Lol, lol, lol! VAMOS!!
I wouldn’t be that surprised to see Rafa win it this year; from what I’ve seen, he’s playing great. But it will obviously be tough if he meets Novak in the final.
Of all the rivalries, I really enjoy the Rafa-Djoko matchup and its variety on all surfaces. But I really want Medvedev to win his first Slam.
Thanks Shirelingo. Extremely biased Nadal fan base here. Anyone who watched the matches and understands tennis will know he was like 50% for two sets with fritz. 80% vs raonic and 95% with Zverev. His forehand did not have the usual zip today and side to side movement was slightly hampered. Yes it’s not a tear but that’s what he said right after the match without an assessment. And since then he is well within his rights to not go into details. I don’t get what all the fuss is about. Of course it’s just because it’s djokovic who may soon surpass the other greats that 90% of tennis world can’t take it. But that’s what makes him so great. That he keeps winning despite all the odds, a true Goat
Zverev was disappointing to say the least. I mean how many times he broke serve first in each set (except set two) and yet he couldn’t hold on to the advantage and then lost the set!
His game lacks finesse, and he’s camping at or behind the baseline most of the times and rallying with Djoko, not a success formula against Djoko. Djoko is the best baseliner in the world (except on clay), if you want to beat him, you have to take risk and move to the net often, to take time away from Djoko.
Zverev had his chances and against a subpar Djoko, he still couldn’t take them to win the match. He’s not ready yet to win a slam.