Sinner breeze past Rublev, Djokovic battle awaits in AO

Italy’s Jannik Sinner secured a thrilling spot in the Australian Open semi-finals, setting up an exciting clash against Novak Djokovic after overcoming Andrey Rublev in a late-night showdown at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.

The fourth seed demonstrated patience and resilience, clinching a 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-3 victory against the Russian. Rublev now holds the unfortunate record of 10 defeats in 10 Grand Slam quarter-finals. Sinner, who defeated world number one Djokovic twice at the end of 2023, impressively reached the semi-finals without dropping a set.

Despite Rublev’s relentless efforts, Sinner maintained composure and turned the tide, particularly evident in the second set tiebreak, where he rallied to win six consecutive points, securing a crucial two-set lead. This proved decisive as Rublev’s determination waned.

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In the third set, Rublev appeared fatigued and dropped serve, allowing Sinner to claim a 4-2 lead. The Italian, known for his clean and powerful hitting, comfortably closed out the match at nearly 1:30 am local time, advancing to his first Australian Open semi-final.

As Sinner prepares for a showdown with the 10-time champion Djokovic on Friday, he can draw confidence from his recent victories against the Serbian player in the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals in November.