Sinner’s elimination of Djokovic means there will be a new name on the Australian Open men’s singles trophy. –Jonathan Jurejko, BBC Sport
By Roger Childs
Down to the last two in the singles
Last year’s women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka, will be keen to repeat her victory in the 2023 final. She will be playing the twelfth seed Zheng Qinwen playing his first grand slam final. However, the 2023 men’s final winner, Novak Djokovic was bundled out by the classy number four seed, Italian Yannik Sinner. He will meet Danill Medvedev who had to come from two sets down to beat German Sasha Zverev.
Easy semi-finals wins for the women
Belarussian Sabalenka made short work of New Zealand’s ASB Classic women’s champion Coco Gauff in her semi-final. The first set went to a tie break in which the American could only garner 2 points. However in the second set Sabalenka cruised to victory 6-4.
She must be favoured to beat Zheng who was taken to three sets in round 3 and in the quarter-finals. However, the 21 year old Chinese player was very convincing against the talented Unseeded Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in her semi, and won 6-4, 6-4.
Men’s final – a new champion in 2024
Djokovic beat Sinner in the Turin ATP Finals in November last year 6-4 6-4. but the Italian got his revenge in the Italy v. Serbia Davis Cup singles. So coming into the Australian Open semi-finals he knew he was capable of beating the number one seed. In the end he did it easily. In the first two sets the Serbian legend couldn’t cope with Sinner’s consistent serving, powerful forehands and superb wide angled placements. The defending champion was clearly rattled and made far more unforced errors than usual.
Sinner had not dropped asset in the earlier five rounds of the tournament and was unexpectedly leading 6-1 6-2 going into the third set. Djokovic however had by now recovered his mojo and his trademark reliable serve and superbly placed groundstrokes enabled him to take the set to a tiebreak which he won 8-6. However, the Italian was not to be denied. He broke the Serb’s service early in set four and won it 6-4 to book a place in his first grand slam final.
His opponent will be Daniil Medvedev who lost to Djokovic in the 2021 and 2022 finals. Could this be his year? The Russian is a determined fighter and has an excellent serve and great staying player. Sacha Zverev won the first two sets in their semi-final 7-5. 6-3, but Medvedev won the next two in tiebreaks 7-6 7-6. Ultimately the Russian’s superior fitness and conssitency saw him finish off the German 6-3 in the deciding set.
The 2024 Australian Open has seen plenty of top quality tennis especially in the men’s singles, and the entertainment will continue in the finals. Sabalenka is odds on to retain her singles title, but the men’s final is too hard to pick. Nevertheless, the spectators are guaranteed to see a highly competitive match and the outcome will see a new name etched on the Norman Brooks Challenge Cup.