Australian Open 2024: Djokovic, Gauff dig deep to make semifinals
Novak Djokovic battled past Taylor Fritz into an 11th Australian Open semifinal and a record-extending 48th at Grand Slams on Tuesday, with Coco Gauff also forced to dig deep in searing heat.
The Serbian superstar came through a probing test on Rod Laver Arena against 12th seeded American 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to keep his bid for a 25th major crown on track.
Djokovic almost always gets the evening slot on centre court but was bumped to the afternoon on a day where temperatures soared to 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) and the world No 1 admitted it was hard going.
The 36-year-old will face either Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner or Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev next, with the omens not good for either man.
Djokovic has won all 10 previous semifinals he has played at Melbourne Park, stretching back to his first title in 2008.
Error-strewn US Open champion Gauff was also put through her paces before outlasting unseeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk after more than three scrappy hours 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.
She will meet either power-packing defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or ninth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova for a place in the final.
But her performance will not strike fear into whoever she plays next, with the 19-year-old struggling on serve and wasting countless opportunities.
The low standard was not confined to Gauff, with the pair making a staggering 107 unforced errors between them – there were 16 service breaks.
Kostyuk rued missing her chances, letting slip a 5-1 lead and squandering set points in the first set, but said she was proud of how she fought.
Gauff also faltered at crunch moments, broken when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set before keeping her cool as Kostyuk became more agitated in the deciding set.
It extended her winning streak this year to 10 matches after she won at Auckland in the lead up, and her unbeaten run at Grand Slams to 12 after her title-winning exploits at Flushing Meadow.
She will need to step up a level should she face Sabalenka, who has been ruthless so far in Melbourne, conceding just 11 games in her march towards another title.
But the Belarusian world No 2 is expecting a thorough examination from Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, who is yet to go beyond the last eight at Melbourne Park.
