Novak Djokovic was cruising 5-1 in the semifinal vs Tommy Paul but suddenly the American throttled into his turbo gear and fought back to 5-5 and a 30-love lead. It was a similar blown lead to the one Djokovic fumbled away at US Open 2020 vs Pablo Carreno Busta up 5-4 and 40-love triple set point. Busta incredibly saved those three set points and then won the game and then held for 6-5 in the next game which provoked Djokovic to mentally snap and hit the lineswoman with the ball he had angrily hit to the back wall.
But yesterday Djokovic did not lose his composure. Down love-30 in the 5-5 game he suddenly took over the match and won 75 61 62. Standing in the way of Djokovic’s tenth Australian Open title will be old nemesis Stefanos Tsitsipas who he has dominated in head to head matches 10-2.
The doubles team of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova won their doubles semi vs Kotsyuk and Ruse in straight sets and are now one match short of their seventh Grand Slam title together. They will play Aoyama and Shibahara who bested Gauff/Pegula in a thrilling match which featured the dynamic aggressive net play of the diminutive Aoyama.
The mixed doubles final featured the triumph by Brazilians Rafael Matos and Luisa Stefani over 36 year old Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. It’s the first mixed doubles title in a Grand Slam for an all Brazilian team and the first major title for each Stefani and Matos, a lefty. For six time Grand Slam champ Mirza (3 in doubles, 3 in mixed) this was her final Grand Slam. Bopanna missed out on his second major title, he won Roland Garros in 2017.
AO · AO23 · Brazil · Novak Djokovic · Sania Mirza
catherine · January 28, 2023 at 6:39 am
3 set win for Sabalenka and she deserves every cent of her prizemoney. I doubt any player worked harder with her team this year to get rid of those yips and wobbles and nerves.
A special prize to her biomechanic: )
Scoop Malinowski · January 28, 2023 at 7:56 am
Good to see maybe the most deserving player win her first major title. Take Sanalenka off that list of best wta player to never win a grand slam. Or is does that list only apply to atp? never saw or heard it discussed with wta players.
catherine · January 28, 2023 at 1:07 pm
Aryna has the spirit:
Sabalenka after seeing her coach in tears: “There was a moment last year when he said ‘I think I’m done, I can’t give you anything else.’ & I was like ‘No, it’s not you, we just have to work through these tough moments & we’ll come back stronger.”
catherine · January 29, 2023 at 3:27 am
Jana Novotna ? She’d be up there I think. Though TBH there’s so many players over the years it’s hard to recall who won what without tedious research.
Mandlikova ? No. USO in ’86. I was there for that, v Martina, and couldn’t believe my eyes.
Most surprising winners on clay at FO ? – BJK and Margaret Court. Supreme s/volleyers.
By the way – I wouldn’t be astonished to see Raducanu establish residence outside Britain at some point. She’ll continue British nationality but I think the pressure is getting to her.
Scoop Malinowski · January 29, 2023 at 7:43 am
Jana won Wimbledon, how could you forget that Catherine, one of the most memorable famous dramatic Wimbledon wins and also for who she beat in the final )
catherine · January 29, 2023 at 10:50 am
Sorry Scoop – of course Jana won W’don – big mistake on my part. Only excuse is that I wasn’t following tennis at all for a few years and never caught up. But I did see Jana play a few times prior to that and always admired her game. There’s a Youtube of her playing Steffi at Brighton (UK) in the 90s – Jana gets to winning position in 3rd set and then….
Scoop Malinowski · January 29, 2023 at 12:03 pm
Catherine, Novotna was known as a choker and then she put that label to rest by famously winning Wimbledon after choking badly in the final the previous year.