Zverev into Australian Open final as Djokovic quits due to injury after first set

Alexander Zverev is through to his first Australian Open final after Novak Djokovic withdrew through injury having lost the first set on the tiebreak.

Zverev will play either world No 1 Jannik Sinner or American Ben Shelton in the final.

Djokovic said he had a muscle tear and that the pain, which had been increasing as the first set wore on, became too much to continue.

“I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had,” Djokovic told reporters. “Yeah, medications and, I guess, the strap, and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much, I guess, to handle for me at the moment. Unfortunate ending, but I tried.

Movement hindered in the tiebreak

Djokovic arrived on court sporting a heavy-looking strapping on his left thigh, courtesy of the tight hamstring he first felt in the first set of his win over Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round.

There were no obvious signs early on that he was struggling and after saving four break points in the third game, he had three chances to break Zverev at 2-1, 0-40.

But after failing to take those, Djokovic had to save another break point to level at 5-5 and in the tiebreak, hich he lost 7-5, his movement was hindered. After the final point, he went straight to Zverev to say he was pulling out.

ZVEREV DEFENDS DjokoviC AFTER fans jeer

Djokovic was booed by some fans as he left the court, but Zverev said there was no reason for them to do so.

“The first thing I’ve got to say is please don’t boo an injured player,” Zverev said. “I know you guys paid for tickets but Novak Djokovic has given this sport for the past 20 years absolutely everything he had in the last 20 years.

“He’s won this tournament with an abdominal tear, he’s won this tournament with a hamstring injury so if he can’t continue it means he really can’t continue a tennis match, so please, be respectful and show some love as well.”

Zverev is through to his third Grand Slam final and said he hoped to go one better than each of them, when he lost in five sets, at the 2020 US Open, from two sets up, and the French Open in 2024.

“I’ve had some tough losses and I think it’s time for me to have some luck in a Grand Slam final,” he said.

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