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Serbian awaits Sinner or Rublev on Friday
January 23, 2024
Novak Djokovic secured his first break against Taylor Fritz on his 16th break point.Peter Staples
Novak Djokovic secured his first break against Taylor Fritz on his 16th break point.
By ATP Staff
After nearly two-and-a-half hours of play, nothing separated Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz in their Australian Open quarter-final. The opening game was a sign of things to come on Tuesday in Melbourne, with Fritz saving three break points across 16 minutes.

Djokovic won the opening set after saving two set points at 5-6, but he missed out on his first 15 break points in Rod Laver Arena and looked in real trouble when his opponent snatched the second set behind an early break.

But this is Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. The 10-time Melbourne champ cashed in on his two break chances in set three and quickly regained control of a highly entertaining clash. Fritz fought to the end, but Djokovic's second wind proved enough to blow him over.

The Serbian wrapped up a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory in three hours, 45 minutes, the final two sets of a match that started out as a marathon racing by in 82 minutes.

"I suffered a lot in the first couple of sets, also due to his high-quality tennis," Djokovic told Nick Kyrgios in his on-court interview. "He was serving well, he was staying close to the line, he was kind of suffocating me from the back of the court. I was [playing] most of the rallies on my back foot. It was really difficult to find the right timing. It was extremely hot while the sun was still out there. Physically very draining, emotionally as well."


While Djokovic looked weary-legged in the second set, the roles reversed when he came out refreshed for the third. As the court cooled in the early evening, the World No. 1 began to heat up. Once he hit top gear, Fritz could not reproduce the great escapes from the early action.

The result moved Djokovic to 9-0 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head, including quarter-final wins in the two most recent Grand Slams.

This one was far tighter than their US Open encounter last season, but Djokovic ultimately made Fritz pay for a mediocre serving day by the American's lofty standards. Djokovic out-aced his opponent 20 to 16 and capitalised on Fritz's 58 per cent first-serve percentage. After his 0 of 15 start on break points, Djokovic was four of six in the final two sets.

"At the end of the day, I managed to break him when it mattered, in the third and the fourth," he said. "I think I upped my game probably midway through the third set, all the way to the end."

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Fritz made a last stand by breaking straight back after dropping serve midway through set four, but Djokovic immediately re-established his advantage before calmly serving out the win. Through to his 11th Australian Open semi-final, Djokovic awaits Jannik Sinner or Andrey Rublev for a Friday showdown after two days off.

Fritz, who was playing in his third Grand Slam quarter-final, was denied his first major semi-final appearance. Despite the defeat, the American moved up three places to No. 9 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings this tournament, setting himself up for a Top 10 return.

Serbian accelerated to four-set quarter-final win after tough opening
January 23, 2024
Novak Djokovic beat Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open to improve to 9-0 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series.Peter Staples for ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic beat Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open to improve to 9-0 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
By ATP Staff
For the third time this Australian Open campaign, Novak Djokovic found himself pegged back to one-set-all on Tuesday. For the third time, the World No. 1 found a mid-match boost to charge to a four-set triumph inside Rod Laver Arena.

Yet sweltering conditions and a Top 20 opponent in Taylor Fritz made Djokovic’s 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 quarter-final win arguably his most impressive yet this fortnight at Melbourne Park. Although he ultimately accelerated to victory after a lung-busting opening two sets, Djokovic was left in no doubt as to the physical test he had passed against the No. 12 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“It was a hot day,” reflected Djokovic in his post-match press conference. “Obviously we started with a 16 or 17-minute first game which took a lot out of us both players, and a very close first set. Just physically gruelling rallies. He was making me uncomfortable on the court because he was very aggressive.

“He served great. He was staying close to the line, taking the ball early, making me run. I was oftentimes on the back foot. So credit to him for playing really well. You could see that he had a clear game plan. He was really sharp. So it was definitely a struggle for me to play the first couple sets.”

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Even Djokovic, who has enjoyed so much historic success competing in Australian summers, acknowledged the difficulty of staying composed when the heat dials up in Melbourne.

“I tried everything I possibly can in the very short amount of time in the changeovers,” said the record 10-time Australian Open champion of his match against Fritz. “I think we both felt the effect of the heat. When you're playing on a hard court, the heat is absorbed in the surface. So down there for us players, we feel probably even more heat than you would feel in the stands, and of course [we are] running.

“It's hard to [lower] your heart rate and kind of control your breathing. It's very intense. The high level of tennis and intensity exerts a lot of effort, and you feel you're spending a lot of energy, and you don't have much time to recover.

“The icing, ice bags on the head, all over the body, is one of the ways to try to bring the temperature down, cool yourself down a bit, because you feel you're trapped in this heat, inside and outside, particularly today.”


With his record-extending 33rd consecutive Australian Open win, Djokovic set a semi-final showdown with fourth seed Jannik Sinner or fifth seed Andrey Rublev. His motivation to continue breaking boundaries at the hard-court major shows no sign of abating.

“I'm aware of the streak that I'm on and the amount of matches that I have won in my career on Rod Laver Arena,” said Djokovic, who has lifted the trophy in Melbourne on all 10 previous occasions he has reached the semi-finals. “I don't want to let that go. The longer the streak goes, the more that kind of confidence, also expectations build, but also the willingness to really walk the extra mile, so to say.

“I just love playing on this court. It's been "the" court for me in my career.”

Alcaraz loss guarantees there will be no change
January 24, 2024
Novak Djokovic is pursuing his 11th Australian Open title.Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic is pursuing his 11th Australian Open title.
By ATP Staff
Novak Djokovic will leave the Australian Open as the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings no matter what happens in the rest of the tournament.

Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev all began the season's first major with a chance to depart Melbourne as World No. 1. But after Alcaraz's loss to Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, Djokovic is guaranteed to retain his place at the top.

According to the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Djokovic has an insurmountable 9,855 points, putting him 600 points ahead of Alcaraz (9,255). The question is whether the Serbian will add to his advantage by winning a record-extending 11th Australian Open title.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings

Player Current Pts Final Champion
1) Novak Djokovic 9,855 10,355 11,055
2) Carlos Alcaraz 9,255 - -
3) Daniil Medvedev 8,265 8,765 9,465
4) Jannik Sinner 7,110 7,610 8,310
Djokovic has an opportunity to surge ahead by as many as 1,800 points if he lifts the trophy, depending on the results the rest of the event. If Medvedev earns his second major crown and Djokovic loses in the semi-finals to Jannik Sinner, the World No. 1 will lead Medvedev by just 390 points.

The 36-year-old Djokovic's current stint at the top began after last year's US Open. He is pursuing a record-extending ninth ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone honour this year.

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There could be a shakeup at World No. 2. If former World No. 1 Medvedev wins the title, he will pass Alcaraz for the No. 2 spot.

Sinner also has a chance to reach a career-high World No. 3. If the Italian claims his first major title, he will pass Medvedev.

Former World No. 2 Zverev can climb no higher than World No. 5 by triumphing in Melbourne.