Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner Preview & Prediction | 2024 Australian Open | Semi-Final
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THE FACTS
When is Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner on and what time does it start? Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner will take place on Friday 26th January, 2024 – not before 03:30 (UK)
Where is Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner taking place? Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner will take place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia
What surface is Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner being played on? Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner
What channel is Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner on in the UK? Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner will be televised live on Eurosport
Where can I stream Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner in the UK? Eurosport subscribers can stream Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner live on their website
THE LOWDOWN
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
World number one Novak Djokovic struggled to find his best level for the majority of a tough scrap with Taylor Fritz on Tuesday, enduring tough conditions in the Melbourne heat, but he turned the screw after dropping the second set to win in four. The 36-year-old has won 33 matches in a row at the Australian Open as he aims to defend his 2023 title and, technically, three further titles won between 2019-2021 after he was unable to enter the 2022 tournament due to his vaccination status. Djokovic is aiming to extend two of his own records this weekend, targeting an 11th Australian Open title and a 25th Grand Slam overall, which would surpass Margaret Court’s overall Open Era record.
JANNIK SINNER
World number four Jannik Sinner fought back masterfully from 5-1 down in the second-set tiebreak with Andrey Rublev on Tuesday to break his opponent’s spirit in straight sets. The 22-year-old has reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the second time, and without dropping a set this fortnight, to once again face a defending champion in Novak Djokovic, to whom he lost in a surprisingly one-sided straight-sets result. Since then, however, Sinner has beaten Novak Djokovic in two of their three matches played, in the ATP Finals group stages and en-route to winning Italy’s inaugural Davis Cup title, last November.
THE PREDICTION
Jannik Sinner is a totally different prospect for Novak Djokovic than the one who fell comfortably in their last Grand Slam semi-final. The Italian saved three match points to win in their singles clash in the Davis Cup semi-finals late last season and he beat the Serb again in doubles, alongside Lorenzo Sonego, to take Italy into their first final and beyond. It was his victory over the Serb in Turin, though, that proved that his late-season surge in form has a purpose beyond winning a maiden Masters title in Toronto and two prestigious trophies in Beijing and Vienna.
That being said, Novak Djokovic also enjoyed a searing end to 2023 with victories in Cincinnati, Paris and at the ATP Finals – at Sinner’s expense – built off of the determination that losing the Wimbledon final to another young star, Carlos Alcaraz, awoke in him. The Serb has yet to find anything like his ruthless best tennis in Melbourne this fortnight, battling illness and heat exhaustion to look a little jaded at times, but two days off and a relatively simple few rounds late last week should see him recovered and ready to treat this match with the respect he knows it deserves.
Djokovic leads their head-to-head 4-2 but since Jannik Sinner’s visible improvement on tour the Italian leads 2-1, on hardcourts, to suggest that this could go the distance. Crucially, though, that one win for Djokovic came when it mattered most, in straight sets to win the ATP Finals, and that instinct should remain the difference here on his favourite court in the world. Back Djokovic to win outright but do consider a one-off on this match to see five sets first.
TIP: NOVAK DJOKOVIC TO WIN
