What a twist of fate! Novak Djokovic is in the semifinals of the Australian Open because Lorenzo Musetti retired the match even though he was leading 2:0 in sets, at the score of 3:1 for the Serbian tennis player in the third set.
Musetti was leading 4:6, 3:6, 3:1, but due to a thigh injury he had to retire the match. Novak is waiting for the winner of the Sinner – Shelton match in the semifinals.
Novak Djokovic started the first set with a break, took a 2:0 lead, but then he hit one smash far out, and from then on his downfall began.
Musetti strung together four games, made another break and led 4:2. Novak seemed completely lost.
Until the end of the set he did not have a single chance to break him.
The second set began with an exchange of breaks, but Musetti makes one more, and he kept that advantage until the end of the set.
And perhaps the key, fateful moment happened exactly in the finish of that second set…
At the score of 5:3 for Musetti in the second, the Italian hits the ball out, the umpire gives the point to Novak, it is 40:15 for Djokovic on the scoreboard…
But no, Nole corrects the umpire, admits that he touched the ball and asks the umpire to award the point to his opponent, which we haven’t seen on tennis and sports courts for a long time, especially not in decisive moments.
After that he lost that game, and consequently the set, but it seems that at that moment he called upon luck and in the end finished as the winner, after Musetti’s retirement. Life is a miracle!
Great both when winning and when losing!
After passing into the semifinals, Novak Djokovic honestly admitted that he was the weaker rival in the match against Musetti and wished the Italian a speedy recovery from the injury.
“I was on my way home,” Djokovic said before the crowded stands and caused laughter, but also applause for his fair play and honesty.
Fortune, however, follows the brave and the honest, and fate wanted Novak to continue his dream of winning the 25th title where he started winning them and where he won the most of them – in Australia!