Home Australia Injured star Novak Djokovic’s shock prediction for Australian Open final

Injured star Novak Djokovic’s shock prediction for Australian Open final

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A devastated Novak Djokovic was forced to withdraw from his Australian Open semi-final
  • Succumbed to injury in semi-final
  • Left stranded in 24th Grand Slam wins
  • Made a great Australian call

Alexander Zverev has welcomed Novak Djokovic’s endorsement to become the next Australian Open champion, saying the 10-time champion helped him dig himself out of a mental hole last year.

The German world number 2 booked his first Melbourne Park final following the shock of an injured Djokovic after he lost the first set 7-6 (7-5) of their semi-final on Friday.

The Rod Laver Arena crowd erupted in boos after hopes of a five-set thriller were cancelled, with Zverev defending his rival in an on-court interview and calling for respect for all Djokovic had achieved at the Open.

He said he had the highest regard for the Serbian superstar, whose grand slam days could be numbered as he approaches 38.

‘There’s not a guy on tour I respect more than Novak. He’s been one of my closest friends on tour,’ Zverev said.

‘When I struggled, I could always text him, I could always ask him for advice. I was talking to him for hours in Shanghai when I struggled after the US Open quarterfinal loss last year.

A devastated Novak Djokovic was forced to withdraw from his Australian Open semi-final

Djokovic and Zverev share a hug after the abrupt end of their Australian Open clash

Djokovic and Zverev share a hug after the abrupt end of their Australian Open clash

‘I wanted this to be a difficult match. He has won this tournament 10 times. Again, I have nothing but respect for him.

The 27-year-old later explained that he had struggled to get through his French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz last year after holding a two-sets-to-one lead and was rocked by a controversial exuberance by the umpire of The Fifth set.

“I was disappointed after the French Open, how my year was going, I wasn’t winning tournaments anymore,” said Zverev, who has yet to win a Grand Slam.

‘The US Open was extremely disappointing for me because I thought I had a great chance to go very far there to reach the final and I performed very, very poorly in my opinion.

‘I was just asking him what it was like for him when he was having a tough time and how he would get back.

“He was always very open to me and we had very long talks… talking to me about his situations and about his experiences with difficult times.”

Djokovic, still chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, said he hoped Zverev could finally fulfill his great potential and become a major champion in his third final after finishing runner-up to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open when resigned two- Establish leadership.

“I wish Sascha (Zverev) all the best,” Djokovic said.

‘You know, he deserves his first hit. I’ll be cheering him on. Hopefully, he can get it here.

Zverev, who will face Italian world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, said he was grateful for the support of Djokovic and other players.

“Yes, it means a lot to me, especially from Novak, who I admire and respect so much,” he said.

‘I’m looking forward to Sunday, I feel like I’ve done the job, and I feel like I’m ready for it, so we’ll see how it goes.

“I’m very grateful to Novak for wishing me that.”

(Tagstotranslate) DailyMail (T) Sport (T) Tennis (T) Novak Djokovic (T) Alexander Zverev (T) US Open Tennis

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