Australian Open 2023: Novak Djokovic Eases Past Tommy Paul In Men's Singles Semifinal, Sets Up Final With Stefanos Tsitsipas
Australian Open 2023: The Serbian tennis ace triumphed 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 to set up a summit clash with Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Melbourne: 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic finds himself on the verge of equalling Rafael Nadal's tally of the maximum number of major titles by a male after reaching yet another Australian Open final. He achieved the feat when he overcome America's Tommy Paul in straight sets at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. The Serbian tennis ace triumphed 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 to set up a summit clash with Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas.
This will be the 10th Australian Open fianl apperance for Djokovic, having won 9 titles previously. Despite not being the youngest of athletes around in this competition, the 35-year-old was one of the favourites to reach the final right from the world go. He had missed last year's Australian Open after being deported from the country due to his unvaccinated status against the virus and what a comeback this has been.
Djokovic dominated from the first set itself and while he was made to work a bit hard for a win in that opening set, he showed his class in the subsequent sets, winning the next two sets with ease. The Australian Open 2023 finals now will be a repeat of the 2021 French Open final where the same two opponents were up against each other. While Tsitsipas had won the first two sets, Djokovic had staged a dramatic comeback to emerge as the champion.
However, two years later Stitsipas would want to learn from that experience when he comes out to the court for the final. He even will have the chance to get to the World number 1 ranking which will be an added motivation for him to win the titule fixture.
“You know, these are the moments that I’ve been working hard for. To be able to play finals like this, but finals that have a bigger meaning, than just (any other) final. It’s a Grand Slam final. I am fighting for the No. 1 spot and it’s a childhood dream to be capturing that No. 1 spot one day. I am close,” the 24-year-old Greek said in an on-court interview after his semifinal win over Karen Khachanov.
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