Djokovic reaches Australian Open semifinal after Musetti retires injured

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Former champion Novak Djokovic is done to past 4 successful Melbourne aft frontrunner Lorenzo Musetti suffers groin injury.

Published On 28 Jan 2026

An “extremely lucky” Novak Djokovic survived a immense scare to scope the Australian Open semifinals connected Wednesday erstwhile Lorenzo Musetti retired wounded portion 2 sets up, keeping live the Serbian great’s bid for a 25th Grand Slam crown.

The fifth-seeded Italian was good connected apical and starring 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 erstwhile helium withdrew aft attraction connected his precocious close leg, with his question severely impeded.

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It was a immense changeable of luck for the error-riddled 10-time Melbourne victor Djokovic, who volition present play either defending champion Jannik Sinner oregon American eighth effect Ben Shelton for a spot successful the final.

The let-off kept live his bid to unafraid a grounds 25th large title.

Djokovic has been trying to determination past Margaret Court and clinch the landmark since his past 1 astatine the US Open successful 2023.

It has proved progressively hard with the emergence of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

“I consciousness truly atrocious for him, helium was the acold amended player, I was connected my mode location tonight,” said Djokovic.

“It has happened to maine a fewer times. He was successful afloat control.

“So unfortunate, I don’t cognize what other to say. He should person been the victor today, nary doubt. I americium highly fortunate to get done this 1 today.”

Victory snatched from the jaws of defeat

With the triumph against Musetti, Djokovic claimed sole ownership of astir singles wins astatine Melbourne Park, surpassing Roger Federer with his 103rd.

It besides enactment him into a 54th Slam semifinal to widen his ain record.

But it looked to each beryllium implicit for the 38-year-old.

He was his ain worst force with an extraordinarily precocious unforced mistake rate, racking up 18 successful the archetypal acceptable unsocial and 32 overall, earlier Musetti walked away.

Djokovic comfortably held serve, past worked 3 interruption points to start. A nervy Musetti saved 2 of them, but a misjudged forehand enactment him 2-0 behind.

The Italian, though, rapidly settled, and a slew of mediocre shots by the Serb opened the doorway to a comeback successful the adjacent game.

It was the archetypal of 4 games successful a enactment won by Musetti, whose tribunal sum was sublime arsenic Djokovic piled up mistakes disconnected some his backhand and forehand.

The Italian had 3 interruption points to contention 5-2 ahead, but the seasoned someway fought backmost done an eight-minute crippled to clasp on.

But it was conscionable delaying the inevitable, and Musetti took the acceptable successful 54 minutes, past broke again to unfastened acceptable two.

Djokovic was not done yet, breaking back, but past threw it distant again with yet much errors to concede service for a 4th time.

He was breached erstwhile much erstwhile serving to enactment successful the set, with Musetti unleashing a sensational forehand down the enactment to determination 2 sets clear.

But Musetti needed attraction connected a thigh contented aft falling 2-1 down successful the 3rd and was intelligibly hurting, with his question restricted.

He tried to transportation on, but had nary prime but to propulsion successful the towel.