Djokovic’s faith can be the difference against historically crumbling Zverev
Even before he had undergone medical tests, defined the nature of his physical ailment and planned for his recovery, Novak Djokovic knew what was in store for him in the days after his remarkable quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday, which he pulled off despite struggling with left thigh pain.
Just as he suggested post-match, Djokovic has not been present on the practice courts at Melbourne Park for Friday’s semi-final with Alexander Zverev. After being absent from the practice schedule on Wednesday, his scheduled 2pm training session had been wiped from the list on Thursday morning.
Andy Murray declined to speak with the media between matches, meaning there has been no news from Djokovic’s camp. With so little time to recover, maintaining muscle memory on court is the least of Djokovic’s issues. The time has been devoted to his recovery.
He will need to be as close to optimal condition against another one of the best players in the world. While the occasion does not have the historic significance of facing a multiple grand slam champion and future legend like Alcaraz, Zverev, the second seed, is an experienced, successful and continues position himself at the deep end of most major tournaments.
The first meeting between the pair occurred eight years ago when a 20-year-old Zverev toppled Djokovic in the final of the Rome Masters, something that further reflects Djokovic’s historic longevity. Although 10 years separate them in age, Djokovic has remained at the top of the game long enough to see Zverev evolve from a young upstart into a veteran.
While Zverev has beaten Djokovic three times since the final in Rome, including en route to gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Djokovic has won all three of their grand slam matches.
Zverev is a fine athlete, he is armed with one of the biggest serves in the game at 6ft 6in and an excellent two-handed backhand. Although he is most comfortable grinding far behind the baseline, he is capable of high-octane attacking play and he has undoubtedly improved his second serve and volleys, which have allowed him to take further strides forward.
And while Zverev has settled at the top of the game, he has failed to follow up his early promise in the later stages of the biggest tournaments. His resume includes two grand slam finals and eight semi-finals, he has won the ATP Finals twice and seven Masters 1000 titles. In the most important moments, however, he has repeatedly crumbled. He was two points from victory in his 2020 US Open final against Dominic Thiem, squandering a two-set lead, and he led by two sets to one against Alcaraz in the French Open final before losing last year.
It is under suffocating pressure at the grand slam tournaments that the gap between Djokovic and Zverev has been most evident. While Djokovic’s toughness and self-belief is second to none, Zverev has so often cowered.
With Djokovic’s physical status still uncertain, the No 1 seed, Jannik Sinner, is the tournament favourite. After his tough four-set win over Holger Rune, during which he was clearly unwell, rumours swirled about the 23-year-old’s physical condition. His quarter-final response against Alex de Minaur, a devastating demolition job, ended all concerns.
Related: Australian Open: Ben Shelton finds the shots – and words – to make his mark
It has been two years since Ben Shelton left the United States for the first time and began his first season as a professional. That yielded a dream run to the quarter-finals in Melbourne, which underlined his massive potential.
The maturity the No 21 seed has quickly gained has been evident as he navigated a tricky draw, but also a section that presented a massive opportunity for the 22-year-old with only one top-30 opponent, the No 15 seed Lorenzo Musetti, in his five matches. He managed the pressure well to reach his second grand slam semi-final after the 2023 US Open.
Against an imperious Sinner who has won 19 consecutive matches at hard-court grand slams, the challenge before Shelton is simple. He will need to produce the very best serving performance of his life, to back up that with a relentless attack and back himself against an opponent who has spent the past year thriving under pressure. As he enters Rod Laver Arena for one of his biggest matches, Shelton will learn plenty about himself.
