The Greek challenges Khachanov at 4.30 in the morning, Nole on the field in the evening session against Tommy Paul
Will the Australian Open final be Djokovic-Tsitsipas, as everything suggests, or will there be surprises? A final act that would also be a challenge for the first position in the ranking, with Nole already virtually second and the Greek still in fourth place, but ready to overtake Casper Ruud in case of victory in the semifinal against Karen Khachanov. The match between Tsitsipas and the Russian will take place in the middle of the night, at 4.30 am Italian time. While Djokovic will play in “his” evening session, at 9.30, against Tommy Paul. The references are always the same: the field, the Rod Laver Arena, the Eurosport and Discovery+ platforms.
TSITSIPAS AND KHACHANOV
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Tsitsipas seems to have taken a further step in his already important career. The Greek plays more aggressive tennis, has worked a lot on his backhand – historically his weak point – and is physically fine. Tip: Look at the impressive footwork. He seems serene, on the microphones he even let himself go with an advance to Margot Robbie. Who doesn’t need to look around is Karen Khachanov, who has been married to Veronika Shkliaeva for seven years and became David’s father at just 23 years old. The Russian is in his second Grand Slam semifinal, consecutive among other things. He made it through the quarterfinals also thanks to a wrist problem for Sebastian Korda, who retired in the third set after losing the first two. He hasn’t won a title since 2018, when he defeated four top-10 players in a row including Djokovic in the final. Tsitsipas is favourites, but Khachanov shut up… Game to follow, net of the inconvenient time.
super nole
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The challenge between Djokovic and Paul is decidedly more unbalanced. The American is a tough player, who will enter the top 20 for the first time at the end of the Australian Open (he entered as number 35 in the world). In the quarterfinals he defused his compatriot Ben Shelton, in the tournament he won against two seeds (the 24th, Bautista Agut, and the 30th, Davidovich Fokina). Djokovic, however, is something else. All the more reason this version of Nole, able to get rid of De Minaur in the round of 16 and Rublev in the quarterfinals with disarming simplicity. The Serbian has won nine out of nine finals at the Australian Open and has won 31 out of 34 matches in Grand Slams against US players: the last to beat him was Sam Querrey, at Wimbledon in 2016. Attention: on the twelfth day of the Melbourne Grand Slam there will also be a bit of Italy, with the 17-year-old Federica Urgesi on the field for the junior women’s doubles final paired with the Serbian Renata Jamrichova.
January 26 – 5.46pm
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