Djokovic advances to Australian Open semi-finals as Musetti retires with injury
Melbourne: Novak Djokovic progressed to the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday after Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire with injury while leading their quarter-final clash.
It proved a fortunate escape for the error-prone ten-time Melbourne champion Djokovic, who was trailing by two sets, hampered by a painful foot blister and contemplating an early exit. The Serbian will now face either defending title-holder Jannik Sinner or American eighth seed Ben Shelton for a place in the final.
The victory marked two milestones for Djokovic. By stepping onto Rod Laver Arena, he became only the third man, after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer, to contest 1,400 tour-level matches. He also surpassed Federer to claim sole ownership of the record for most Australian Open singles match wins, with 103. The reprieve also keeps alive his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam crown.
Also Read | Australian Open 2026: Elina Svitolina crushes Coco Gauff to reach semifinals
Djokovic admitted he had been second best on the day. “"I don't know what to say except I feel really sorry for him, and he was a far better player. I was on my way home tonight. These kinds of things happen in sport. It happened to me a few times, but being in the quarters of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up, and being in full control, it's so unfortunate. I don't know what else I can sa,y and I really wish him a speedy recovery. He should have been a winner today, no doubt,” he said.
Reflecting on the match, Djokovic conceded his own performance had been erratic. “The strategy worked very well for the first couple of games, and then it changed completely. Four winners in the first two games, and no unforced errors. Then in the rest of the match, I had another four winners and probably 40 errors. But that’s what Lorenzo does to you,” he explained.
Also Read | Nadal to return to Australian Open for ‘Night of Legends’
Djokovic now holds a 10-1 head-to-head record over Musetti, but acknowledged the Italian’s quality. “He makes you play. When you think the point is finished, it’s not... I just wasn’t feeling the ball today in the first couple of sets, but that’s also due to his quality and variety of game. I’m just extremely lucky to get through this one today,” he added.
Djokovic has been striving to surpass Margaret Court’s tally since his last triumph at the US Open in 2023, but the rise of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has made the task increasingly challenging. “I have to play better, no doubt about it,” he admitted.
Musetti calls forced retirement ‘really painful’
Musetti, who had lost all three of his previous major encounters with Djokovic, suffered an upper-right leg injury early in the third set. The Italian, who had taken the first two sets 6-4, 6-3 and was ahead 3-1 in the third, saw his hopes of a breakthrough Grand Slam victory against the Serbian dashed in cruel fashion. Despite receiving treatment from the physio and attempting to continue, he was unable to carry on after two hours and eight minutes of play.
The Italian admitted that he fears a muscle tear in his leg after being forced to retire from the quarter-final, describing the decision to withdraw as “really painful”.
Musetti suffered a similar setback against Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open last year. He admitted this latest injury was harder to accept, given how close he was to reaching the last four.
“Honestly, I never imagined the feeling of leading two sets to love against Novak, playing like that and have the lead of the match like that and then being forced to retire,” Musetti said.
(With agency inputs)