“I’LL FIGHT 100% FOR EVERY BALL”: JANNIK SINNER READY FOR NOVAK DJOKOVIC SHOWDOWN AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

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Jannik Sinner will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open and has expressed his readiness to take on the 10-times AO champion. The Italian secured a convincing victory against Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals with a score of 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-2, marking his third Grand Slam semifinal appearance.

Ranked as World No. 4, Sinner entered the tournament as one of the favorites following an impressive 2023 season, and he has demonstrated his determination to compete for glory. However, his upcoming challenge will be against arguably the greatest player in the history of the Australian Open, the current World No. 1, Novak Djokovic.

So far, Sinner has not dropped a set in the tournament, and he will face Djokovic, who has progressively found his form and looks ready to defend his crown. Djokovic has not suffered a defeat in Melbourne since 2018, boasting a remarkable streak of 33 consecutive victories.

Sinner views the semifinal clash with Djokovic as an advantageous opportunity, considering it is better than facing him in the final: “I’m really lucky to be facing the world number one in the semi-finals,” remarked Sinner.

“It’s going to be tough, but the only thing I can control is that I’ll fight 100% for every ball and see what happens.”

Reflecting on his quarterfinal encounter with Rublev, Sinner acknowledged that despite the comfortable result, it was a challenging match: “It was really tight, but these are the moments I love to play,” Sinner said.

“This is what I practice for, and I’m really excited when we always have these pressure points. I’m just really trying to stay aggressive, and it went my way today.”

The head-to-head record between Sinner and Djokovic currently stands at 4-2, with two meetings in Grand Slam tournaments, both at Wimbledon, resulting in victories for Djokovic in 2022 quarterfinals and 2023 semifinals. Nevertheless, Sinner won their most recent encounter in the Davis Cup, where Italy secured their first title in almost 50 years, led by Sinner.

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