Sinner dispatches Rublev in straight sets to set up Djokovic semi-final tie

Italy's Jannik Sinner defeated Andrey Rublev in a late-night match at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, securing a mouth-watering Australian Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

The fourth seed demonstrated patience and resilience in defeating the Russian 6-4 7-6(5) 6-3, who now has an unenviable record of ten out of ten defeats in Grand Slam quarterfinals.

Sinner, who defeated world number one Djokovic twice at the end of 2023, has advanced to the semi-finals without losing a set.

Fifth seed Rublev, as he always does, threw everything at his opponent but was left with the same sinking feeling as he consistently failed to capitalize on his opportunities, particularly when leading the second set tiebreak 5-1.

Sinner responded magnificently, reeling off six points in a row to take a two-set lead, which proved crucial as Rublev's resolve weakened.

In the third set, the Russian wore a tired expression and dropped serve, giving Sinner a 4-2 lead, and the clean-hitting Italian went on to win comfortably at nearly 1.30am local time, advancing to his first Australian Open semi-final.

Sinner, 22, will be confident in his upcoming match against 10-time champion Djokovic on Friday after defeating him in the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals in November.

"I'm really lucky to be facing the world number one in the semi-finals," Sinner, who lost to Djokovic at Wimbledon last year in his maiden Grand Slam semi-final, said on court.

"It's going to be tough but the only thing I can control is that I'll fight 100% for every ball and see what happens."

Sinner and Rublev did not begin their match on Rod Laver Arena until 10.45 p.m. local time, as the day session ran late into the evening.

It wasn't ideal, but Sinner will be relieved that he was able to finish the match relatively quickly thanks to his incredible ability to defend against break points.

He finished the first set in 38 minutes because Rublev, whose game is nearly identical to Sinner's, committed too many unforced errors.

The second set, however, was a different story, with Rublev putting Sinner under extreme pressure with his explosive hitting. Rublev had break points in the fourth, sixth, and eighth games, but Sinner slammed the door shut.

Sinner has now saved 26 of the 28 break points he has faced during his run through the draw.

During the second set, the Italian clutched his stomach at times, but later explained that it wasn't an injury, but rather a gassy feeling. Sinner was in trouble when Rublev seized control of the breaker, pounding a 148kph forehand to lead 5-1.

But there was no panic, and any discomfort he was feeling was hidden as he roared back to deliver a gut punch to Rublev and take the second set.

After that, Rublev was all too familiar with another missed opportunity to reach a Grand Slam semi-final.

"It was really tight but these are the moments I love to play," Sinner said.

"This is what I practice for and I'm really excited when we always have these pressure points."I'm just really trying to stay aggressive and it went my way today."

SportsLigue