Melbourne

Novak Djokovic will face two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals after advancing through a quarterfinal that ended prematurely due to his opponent’s injury.

The 10-time Melbourne Park champion was trailing two sets to love against fifth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti when the Italian retired with a right-leg injury while Djokovic held a break in the third set. “I was lucky this time,” Djokovic admitted, acknowledging the unconventional path to his 103rd win at the Australian Open, surpassing Roger Federer’s record.

Sinner, meanwhile, secured his semifinal berth with a straight-sets victory over eighth-seeded Ben Shelton, extending his unbeaten run at Melbourne Park to 19 matches. The 24-year-old Italian admitted he had been fortunate to continue in the tournament after struggling with cramps in his third-round match.

The men’s semifinals will feature the top four seeds, with No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz set to play No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the other match. Sinner leads Djokovic 6-4 in their head-to-head meetings and has won the last five encounters, including semifinals at the 2024 Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon last year. “Playing against Novak improves you both as a player and a person,” Sinner said.

Djokovic, pursuing his 25th Grand Slam singles title, struggled with a blister on his right foot and a challenging start before Musetti’s retirement. The Italian had attempted to continue after a medical timeout but could not endure the pain. Djokovic expressed sympathy for Musetti, noting that the Italian “should have been the winner today.”

Earlier, Djokovic had lost a point late in the second set due to a minor racket mishap and had taken a medical timeout for his blister. “I just wasn’t feeling the ball today with the way he was playing. I’m extremely lucky,” Djokovic said.

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Reflecting on his career, Djokovic rejected the notion that he is chasing current stars like Alcaraz or Sinner. “I’m not chasing anyone. I’m creating my own history,” he said, emphasizing his dominance over the 15-year period bridging the Federer-Nadal era and today.