Novak Djokovic overcomes Daniil Medvedev & injury scare to reach Adelaide final as Australian Open preparations ramp up
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ByEurosport
Updated 07/01/2023 at 15:38 GMT
Novak Djokovic will face Sebastian Korda in the final of the Adelaide International after he saw off a first-set injury scare to overcome Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. Korda progressed to the final after Yoshihito Nishioka retired from their match owing to a hip injury. Stream the 2023 Australian Open live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk. The Australian Open starts on January 16.
Highlights: Hard-fought win for Djokovic over Halys in Adelaide
Novak Djokovic overcame a first-set injury scare to beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3 6-4 to progress to the final of the Adelaide International.
The Serbian took a medical timeout in the first set after tweaking his hamstring but managed to beat his Russian opponent in one hour and 24 minutes to move to a 9-4 head-to-head record against the world No. 7.
“Thankfully it was nothing too serious,” Djokovic said afterwards. "If it was, I wouldn’t be able to continue, so I just tried with [a] medical timeout, some anti-inflammatories and kind of settled in after a few games.
“I was just trying to keep the momentum going and [not] allow him to break my serve. I think that was the key, that eventually I would get a chance.
“I think the longer the match went, the more my hamstring was warmer and bothering me less, so hopefully for tomorrow it will be all fine.”
The 35-year-old will face American Sebastian Korda in Sunday's final as he ramps up his preparations for the Australian Open.
Djokovic, intent on chasing a 10th Australian Open title in Melbourne Park when the event gets underway on January 16, was at his clinical best to overcome Medvedev, defending the three break points he faced before converting two of the three he had fashioned.
The Serbian was leading 5-2 – having broken in the fourth game of the set - when he took a medical timeout for a tight hamstring, but held his nerve to open a one-set advantage, and secured the decisive break of serve in the seventh game of the second.
“With Daniil it’s never easy,” said Djokovic. "You always have to change the pace, mix up the serve, the return position, rallies, try to make him uncomfortable. So it’s really a cat-and-mouse game in a way every single match.
“He’s one of the best servers that we have in the world.
“Definitely on the courts like this where it’s really quick and the ball kind of skids through the surface, it’s tough to play him. But he made two double faults on two break points, both first and second sets. I knew that in those moments he might go for more so I was kind of changing my position and it worked.”
Djokovic will face Korda in the final after his semi-final opponent - Yoshihito Nishioka – retired with a hip complaint with the American leading 7-6(5) 1-0.
After missing the 2022 Australian Open owing to his vaccination status, Djokovic is aiming for a record-extending 10th Australian Open and record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title when the action commences on January 16.
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Stream the 2023 Australian Open live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk.
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