Adelaide International 2023: Unplanned fireworks display interrupts opening set between Novak Djokovic and Denis Shapovalov
A fireworks display lasting close to 10 minutes interrupted Novak Djokovic’s match, but he was still able to get the job done at the Adelaide International.
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Novak Djokovic shrugged off a 10-minute opening game, a sluggish ball boy and even an impromptu fireworks display to see-off Canadian firebrand Denis Shapovalov 6-3 6-4 at the Adelaide International.
Friday night’s quarterfinal just about had it all. But the one constant was Djokovic, who overcame a sluggish start to make it 8-0 all-time against Shapovalov and book a Saturday semi-final showdown with Daniil Medvedev in the process.
The Serbian’s opening service game was an oddity, lasting more than 10 minutes as both players warmed into the contest.
Djokovic looked frustrated from the jump – at one point urging a ball boy to hurry with returning the balls between points.
A fireworks display at the tennis? 🤨
— The Advertiser Sport (@TheTiserSport) January 6, 2023
Novak Djokovic's clash with Denis Shapovalov was delayed for 10 minutes by this.@CallumjDick has the details: https://t.co/K7TXp5Tr1opic.twitter.com/tanZn28lxH
As the players changed ends at 2-1 play was paused for more than eight minutes while an unexpected fireworks display began along the river nearby.
Officials confirmed they were not made aware of the fireworks and scrambled for answers as the players were forced to alter their routines to accommodate the interruption.
The match ticked over half an hour with just four games completed and the pair continued to trade service games.
But once regularly scheduled programming resumed, Djokovic began to shine.
The Serb broke serve and took the opening set 6-3 on the hour mark, before repeating the dose in the second to keep his perfect start to the Australian summer intact.
All eyes now turn to Saturday and the matchup every tennis fan hoped for when the draw was announced.
Djokovic-Medvedev; a repeat of the 2021 Australian and US Open finals and a potential preview to this year’s decider at Melbourne Park.
“Normally when you play Daniil you have to be ready to go the distance - he’s definitely one of the best players in the world for the last five years,” Djokovic said.
“He’s established himself, he’s a grand slam winner, a former No. 1 in the world so he’s someone that I respect a lot.
“We’ve had some amazing battles over the years (and) we’re hoping for another good battle (on Saturday).”
On the opposite side of the draw, Sebastian Korda will face Yashihito Nishioka on Saturday for a place in the final opposite either Djokovic or Medvedev.
Korda eased past an ailing Jannik Sinner 7-5 6-1 after the Italian received treatment on his left hip at the end of the first set.
Nishioka meanwhile ended the dream run of Aussie qualifier Alexei Popyrin, 7-6 6-7 6-2.
‘Really tough’: Why Russian star questioned himself
Daniil Medvedev’s ominous Adelaide International form has stamped the Russian as a genuine Australian Open title contender once again, but only a few months ago the former world No. 1 was questioning his abilities.
The 26 year old was clinical in his 6-3 6-3 victory over countryman Karen Khachanov on Friday and he looks as strong as any other player ahead of the first grand slam of the year later this month.
However, Medvedev arrived in Adelaide having endured a string of heartbreaking ATP Finals defeats to close out 2022 and the back-to-back Australian Open runner-up conceded it played on his mind early in the off-season.
Rublev. Tsitsipas. Djokovic. A trio of matches lost in a final set tie-breaker, with no competitive outlet to follow, made Medvedev start to question himself.
“Confidence is tough to say, it was just a really tough experience,” he said.
“I think it was good it was the last tournament of the year because then you have a pre-season where you can work hard and reset for the new season, because for sure the week after the finals I was like: ‘That was horrible’.
“I wanted to swear … I was serving two times for the match (which made it) even worse.
“In those moments you ask yourself, ‘will I be able to do better next time?’”
“I always say to myself yes; with hard work and trying your best, for sure I will. I was able to do it already and I will be able to do it again.”
Medvedev was installed as world No. 1 not long after reaching last year’s Australian Open final, which he lost in heartbreaking circumstances having led Rafael Nadal by two sets before the Spaniard’s legendary comeback.
He finished the year at No. 7, and spoke earlier this week about his burning desire to return to the top of the mountain in 2023.
This time 12 months ago Medvedev was the world’s best player in-waiting; coming off a US Open title and Davis Cup glory.
Asked if there was less expectation on his shoulders this year, Medvedev said his focus remained the same.
“I don’t know. I put high expectations on myself all the time,” he said.
“Talking about other people, I don’t know the expectations they (have) – if they are lower, I will try to (do) everything I can so that they are high again.”
So far in Adelaide the Russian is doing everything right to make that a reality. In one of the strongest ATP250 fields ever seen, he has defied the chaos that saw top seeds Felix Auger-Aliassime and Holger Rune bomb out in the opening round.
A semi-final berth awaits on Saturday and he is just 24 hours away from a possible first ATP title of 2023.
Given some of the world’s best – including Novak Djokovic – featured in Adelaide this week, such a feather in his cap would make Medvedev one of the favourites to win it all in Melbourne.
“I don’t know what happens in the future; I cannot change the past. The only thing I can do is work on the present and in the present I feel great, I feel fresh (and) I feel ready for the season.”
Young Aussie tapped out after succumbing to emotions
An Adelaide International semi-final berth was calling for young Aussie Alexei Popyrin, but on Friday he failed to answer.
The man with the monster serve fired down 27 aces — 15 in the second set alone — but the ground strokes that got him past No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime earlier in the week failed to fire against the ever-reliable Yoshihito Nishioka.
In his first ATP quarter-final appearance in two years, the 23-year-old had Japanese sensation Nishioka on the ropes on more than one occasion. But in the clutch he came up short, bowing out of the Adelaide International, 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (10-8) 6-2.
Popyrin broke the world No. 36 first in the opening set but almost immediately gave it back, and Nishioka went on to win the opener in a tie-break.
The Aussie responded by breaking his rival once again in the second but, with a chance to serve for the set, again opened the door for Nishioka to break back.
As Thanasi Kokkinakis learned on Thursday night, when he converted just one of seven break points before falling in straight sets to Jannik Sinner, at this level you have to take your chances.
Popyrin answered the call and saved two match points before winning a second set tie-break.
The young Aussie’s emotions spilled over as he dragged himself back into a contest he knew he deserved to be winning.
But the emotion of the second set appeared to take its toll. Popyrin began to fade and his first serve percentage dipped well below its standard measure, allowing Nishioka to break twice before the young Aussie called for a medical time-out.
Popyrin returned to the court but was clearly tapped out and Nishioka took the final game to love, securing a semi-final berth on Saturday.
For Popyrin it was a disappointing way to exit, however he will take plenty of confidence out of his Adelaide International showing ahead of an Australian Open wildcard appearance later this month.
Kokkinakis ‘freaked out’ by knee scare as pressure mounts
Pressure is on Thanasi Kokkinakis to defend his maiden ATP title at the Adelaide International 2 next week and the South Australian concedes he is not 100 per cent fit as he enters a crucial period in what he hopes will be a resurgent 2023 season.
The 26-year-old was knocked out of the Adelaide International on Thursday night by Italian world No. 15 Jannik Sinner, dropping outside the ATP top 100 in the process.
Kokkinakis is due to back up at Memorial Drive for Week 2 of the Adelaide International where he will defend his breakthrough title of last year and a crucial 250 ranking points.
But the right knee that caused him early concern in his opening round clash with Maxime Cressy on Tuesday remains an issue, and though Kokkinakis is “confident” he will be fit to play in Week 2 and at the Australian Open later this month, it is not certain.
“I had a bit of a scare with my knee but I think I’ve done something to kind of manage it a little bit,” Kokkinakis said.
“I’ve probably got to scan it, but I’m pretty confident now after getting through that match (against Sinner) about the Aussie Open – I just hopefully (can) give it a good crack next week and see what happens.”
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Kokkinakis retired from his doubles match with Jordan Thompson on Wednesday after another knee scare. Following Thursday night’s loss to Sinner he revealed it had been troubling him prior to the tournament.
“It’s been bothering me a bit in the off-season but usually when it warms up it gets to a good point – to get through two matches (in Adelaide) was good,” he said.
“The first round (against Cressy) and even in the doubles it freaked me out; I just leant back on serve and the knee kind of gave way. It’s a bit of a weird one.
“I think I need to get it looked at but I’m pretty confident after getting through that game (against Sinner) that I should be OK.”
Asked if he was definitely going to be fit to play in Week 2, Kokkinakis replied: “That’s the plan (but) I might have a look at it, just to make sure there’s nothing major (wrong with it).”
Djokovic survives scare from unlikely Frenchman
For a moment he looked mortal.
Broken in his opening service game and staring down a 3-0 deficit against unheralded Frenchman Quentin Halys, Novak Djokovic was on the ropes.
But not really.
It wasn’t the script the crowd expected when it piled into Memorial Drive for the Adelaide International second round, but the world No. 5 made amends — progressing to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) win on Thursday.
An impressive Halys, who last faced and lost to Djokovic at the 2016 Australian Open — their only meeting — had the chance to serve for the opening set. But it’s never so simple against one of the best to ever do it.
Djokovic broke to love and his subsequent roar was matched by an approving crowd.
Halys could have crumbled from then, as so many had done before. But the world No. 64 responded with a love service game of his own to throw pressure back on the shoulders of Djokovic.
He responded in kind to send the set to a tie-breaker and you never bet against the nine-time Australian Open champion from there.
The Serbian’s signature scrambling was on full display with an incredible passing shot to go 5-0 up in the tie-break and Djokovic closed it out soon after.
If some expected the second set to be a walkover, Halys had other ideas.
Despite his 0-11 record against top-30 opponents in tour-level matches, the Frenchman kept his composure against the Australian Open favourite.
He saved two match points to square the set at 5-5 and to another tie-break they went.
This time, Djokovic didn’t have it all his own way.
It took until the 11th point for the first mini break of serve and with his third match point, Djokovic converted.
“It was a great performance from my opponent today,” the 35-year-old said after the match.
“I want to congratulate him for a great fight today. Tough luck; he played like a top-10 player today, no doubt.”
Djokovic progresses to the quarterfinals where he meets Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who has never beaten the Serbian in seven attempts on tour.
“Denis is one of the most complete players out there,” Djokovic said.
“He’s got a very dynamic style of tennis, a big serve, comes to the net (and) he’s comfortable playing from the back of the court.
“We haven’t played now for a while so I’m looking forward to that. Every match now gets tougher and I’m going to be ready for that.”
Originally published as Adelaide International 2023: Unplanned fireworks display interrupts opening set between Novak Djokovic and Denis Shapovalov
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