Djokovic unsure on hamstring setback; Czech teenager rewrites history

Novak Djokovic has ploughed through a mid-match hamstring scare to beat Daniil Medvedev for a fourth straight time and reach Sunday night’s Adelaide International final.

The Serbian great produced his best performance of the week to steam past one of his main Australian Open title rivals, 6-3, 6-4, in front of another adoring crowd that he has become accustomed to in Adelaide.

It was Djokovic’s 33rd consecutive win on Australian soil and 101st overall in the country he has enjoyed his most on-court success.

His final opponent is American Seb Korda, who advanced when Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka retired hurt one game into the second set after dropping the first in a tiebreak.

But the status of Djokovic’s hamstring and what it might mean for his bid to win a record-extending 10th Australian Open title will provide even more interest.

“Look, I’m not going to talk about it too much because I don’t think it’s appropriate,” he said.

The Serbian great produced his best performance of the week.Credit:

“I don’t want to reveal too much of what’s happening. I felt a pulling on the hamstring and I needed [a] medical timeout and I got one.

“When the pills kicked in, I guess, after a few games, when it was warm enough, I felt OK. Let’s see how it feels when I wake up tomorrow.

“Obviously, playing day-by-day, having a little bit of an injury – it’s not ideal. But it’s not the first time that I get to experience specific circumstances like this one ... hopefully it will feel good. I don’t have so much time, but I hope enough.”

Djokovic exited the arena for treatment after the seventh game of the first set, only minutes after appearing to hurt his left hamstring while attempting an outstretched forehand.

He immediately clutched at his leg and tried to stretch it out before taking a medical timeout with a 5-2 first-set lead.

Any fears Djokovic might call it a night early were soon dispelled as he re-emerged with strapping high on his left hamstring and continued to out-play his Russian rival.

Medvedev double-faulted to drop serve in the fourth game of the match – and could never get the break back – then repeated the sin in the seventh game of the second set.

There was a brief rearguard action from Medvedev in the next game as he desperately tried to work back into the contest.

He earned two separate break points with some spectacular shot-making and tried to get the crowd on his side before each one, but Djokovic shut the door on both chances, escaped the game and soon sealed victory.

“Winning against him in straight sets; I couldn’t ask for more, except that little scare with the hamstring, but everything else was great,” Djokovic said.

“As the tournament progresses, every match I play better. That obviously is something I wish for, something I work for, hope for. I’m hitting the ball very well.

“I served extremely well. I think that helps when you play Daniil, who is one of the best defenders in the game, one of the best servers in the game.”

Djokovic also offered rich praise for Korda, a 22-year-old rising star who works with one of the Serbian’s former coaches, Radek Stepanek.

“[He is] one of the players who has the cleanest-striking technique that you can see on the tour,” Djokovic said.

“I mean, he’s so talented. Everything seems very effortless. The way he plays, the way he moves on the court – just beautiful-looking tennis. I’m going to try to make it ugly tomorrow.

“Joking aside, he’s one of the players on the new generation who is coming up, one of the contenders for the top spots of the world. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time when he’s going to break through [into the] top 10.”

Czech teen sensation rewrites history in making Adelaide final

Teenage sensation Linda Noskova stunned her second top-10 opponent at the Adelaide International on Saturday to become the youngest player to reach a WTA 500 level final or higher in 14 years.

The 18-year-old, ranked 102 but projected to rise to No.56 from her heroics in South Australia, had to save a match point to make it out of first-round qualifying on New Year’s Eve, then again in her semi-final against Victoria Azarenka.

Linda Noskova.Credit: Sarah Reed, Getty

Only American Coco Gauff will be ranked higher among teenagers on Monday than Noskova, who will be one of nine Czech Republic players inside the women’s top 100.

Noskova had never faced a top-10 player before upsetting Daria Kasatkina in her main draw opener, but now also counts world No.2 Ons Jabeur among her scalps after toppling the 2021 Wimbledon and US Open runner-up, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

Former world No.1 and 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki was only nine days younger than Noskova when she made the 2008 New Haven final.

Waiting for the steely-faced Noskova, who rates her mentality as her greatest strength, in the Adelaide final is Belarusian powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka, who demolished Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 6-2.

“It’s obviously an amazing feeling. I’ve played a lot of matches, so I’m just grateful that I got out of all of them, and I’m looking forward to playing finals tomorrow,” Noskova said.

“I’m just playing good – that’s all I care about. The results don’t mean that much to me compared to if I play really great, and I’m hitting the shots that I should.”

A lower back problem visibly hampered Jabeur for much of the match, and she took a medical timeout late in the opening set, but managed to rise to the challenge to run away with a lopsided second set and force a decider.

The first game of the final set proved decisive, with the Tunisian unable to break Noskova despite reducing her to 0-40 – and the momentum soon swung the other way.

Noskova landed the first blow three games later and quickly raced to a 4-1 lead, which she never looked like surrendering. A stand-and-deliver forehand winner completed the upset on her second match point.

Swiatek managing injury as Williams withdraws from Australian Open

World No.1 Iga Swiatek has pulled out of next week’s second Adelaide International event to manage a shoulder issue, while Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open.

The pair join a growing list of men’s and women’s contenders withdrawing from Australian summer tennis tournaments.

Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys are also skipping Adelaide 2.0 after the United States qualified for the United Cup final. Carlos Alcaraz (leg) announced on Saturday that he would not compete at the men’s Australian Open in Melbourne later this month.

Venus Williams in action in Auckland.Credit: Getty

Williams, 42, somewhat controversially received an Australian Open wildcard despite her age and failing to win a match last year, but the American displayed improved form in Auckland this week. Her wildcard now goes to Australia’s Kim Birrell, who last played in the main draw at Melbourne Park two years ago and reached the round of 32 in 2019.

Swiatek has had a big couple of days, including breaking into tears after a lopsided defeat to Pegula in the United Cup semi-finals when she felt “helpless”.

She is still expected to play in the Australian Open.

“As you all know, I love to play in Adelaide and I have nothing but best memories from tournament,” Swiatek said in a statement.

Iga Swiatek. Credit: Matt King, Getty

“Unfortunately, this year I have to withdraw from Adelaide International Two because of [a] shoulder issue and fatigue after United Cup. I’m really sorry for this and I hope to see you all next year.”

Meanwhile, Belarusian powerhouse Aryna Sabalenka credited her extreme case of serving yips in Australia last year for the mental transformation that helped her reached her first final in the country.

The world No.5 is yet to drop a set in her march to the Adelaide International decider, with Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu her latest victim in a 6-3, 6-2 cakewalk in only 78 minutes.

The result follows Sabalenka’s barnstorming run at the year-end WTA Finals, where France’s Caroline Garcia finally stopped her in the final after she downed Swiatek in the semi-finals.

World No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka. Credit: Mark Brake, Getty

“I think last year when I was struggling with my serve; I understand that even without my serve, I still have something to play with,” Sabalenka said.

“It’s given me little bit of, not like confidence, but little bit of belief that no matter what’s going on, on the court, I can come back ... so I think last year helped me a lot to understand that my serve is not the only weapon I have.

“That’s why, like, right now, I’m much calmer on court.”

The first men’s finalist is also locked in, with American rising star Seb Korda advancing after Japanese opponent Yoshihito Nishioka retired hurt with a right leg injury while trailing by a set and 1-0, having also launched a tirade at the chair umpire for the second straight match.

None of Sabalenka’s 10 WTA singles titles were won in Australia – she made the Adelaide semi-finals three years ago – but she twice previously claimed Australian Open lead-in events at Shenzhen (2019) and Abu Dhabi (2021).

“I’m happy with the level I played today, especially [because] she’s playing a little different style, so I’m super happy that I was able to win this match,” Sabalenka said.

“I mean, any way [the other semi-final goes] is going to be a tough match. Both of them are playing really great tennis this week. I saw a couple of matches of both, and it’s going to be a great battle, and I’m really looking forward to this final.”

Sabalenka could not convert three break points in the fourth game of the match, but made no mistake two games later to snatch a 4-2 lead she never relinquished, albeit after fighting back from 0-40 in the next game.

Any chance of Begu staging a comeback evaporated when she double-faulted then dumped a forehand into the net to concede serve to start the second set.

Sabalenka added an insurance break in the seventh game before sending down her sixth ace of the match to seal her passage to the final.

The 24-year-old trailed 5-1 in her first match of the week against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova but fought back to win that clash in two tiebreaks before defeating Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets.

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