29/01/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | JAN 29, 2026

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N OVAK DJOKOVIC’S quest for a record Grand Slam title continued in dramatic cir cumstances after fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti quit their Australian Open quarterfinal match with an injury after taking a two-set lead at Melbourne Park yesterday. Musetti’s retirement when leading 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 meant Djokovic pulled off a great escape at his most success ful hunting ground, with the 10-times champion’s bid for a standalone 25th major to break the tie with Margaret Court still alive. “I don’t know what to say, except that I feel really sorry for him and he was a far better player,” Djokovic said. “I was on my way home tonight.

Lucky escape Djokovic through to Australian Open semifinals after Musetti injury

Lorenzo rues ‘really painful’ retirement LORENZO MUSETTI said yesterday he fears a muscle tear in his leg after being forced to retire from his Australian Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic, calling the decision to pull out “really painful”. The fifth-seeded Italian was dominating the 24-time Grand Slam winner 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 and well on his way to a maiden semifinal at Melbourne Park when he threw in the towel. He had a medical timeout for treatment on his upper right leg and tried to continue, but his movement was badly impeded and he had to stop. “I felt it at the beginning of the second set. I felt there was some thing strange in my right leg,” he said. “I continued to play because I was playing really, really, really well, but I was feeling that the pain was increasing, and the problem was not getting away. “I feel personally that I know my body and I feel personally that I’m kind of secure that this is a tear, unfortunately.” A torn muscle can take anything from weeks to months to recover from, depending on the severity. Musetti had a similar injury when he was playing Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open last year. He said this one was harder to take given he was on the cusp of making the last four. “Honestly, I never imagined the feeling of leading two sets to zero against Novak and playing like that and have the lead of the match like that and be forced to retire,” he said. “It is something that, of course, it’s really painful.” – AFP

overhead shot before comfortably wrapping up the opening set on serve. “My strategy worked very well for the first couple of games and then it changed completely,” Djokovic said. “I had four winners in the first two games and no unforced errors and then the rest of the match I had another four winners and probably 40 errors. That’s what Lorenzo does to you, makes you play when you think the point is finished. “When you attack him you don’t know what to expect, whether it’s going to be a passing shot, a cross court or a short slice, or if he’s going to go full flat in your body or hit a looping ball to my weakest shot, which is overhead. “I tried my best … I wasn’t feeling the ball today the first couple of sets but that’s also due to his quality and his variety in the game. I’m extremely lucky to get to get through this one.” Fiery winners from both flanks helped Musetti break in the opening game of the next set, and though the 23-year-old let the advantage slip immediately, he edged in front again and soon doubled his lead in the match, to leave Djokovic on the ropes. Djokovic soldiered on following treatment for a foot blister and went 2-1 up with a break in the third, when it was Musetti’s turn to call the trainer to the court for what appeared like a right thigh issue. Musetti looked to manage the problem and play on but he was far from 100% and threw in the towel a game later to gasps from the Rod Laver Arena crowd, handing Djokovic his 103rd match win at the tournament to eclipse Roger Federer’s mark. “I’m going to double my prayers tonight, for sure. Today I wasn’t happy with my performance but it’s another day in the office and hope fully in a couple of days, I can come out and be at my best, because that’s what’s needed.” – Reuters

action after an extended break fol lowing fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik’s walkover on Sunday, and his freshness showed during a sharp start where he brought plenty of vari ety and grabbed an early break. But some loose points thereafter allowed Musetti to level at 2-2 and the Italian then surged past Djokovic for the first time in the contest with an

“These things happen in sport and it’s happened to me a few times, but being in quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up and being in full control, I mean it’s so unfortu nate. “I wish him a speedy recovery and he should have been the winner today, there’s no doubt.” The 38-year-old Serb returned to

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (left) applauds as Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti walks off the court after retiring from their men’s singles quarterfinal match in Melbourne yesterday. – AFPPIC

Musetti atthe press conference after retiring yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Pegula must ‘crack the code’ against Rybakina

‘Animals in a zoo’: Players back Gauff call for more privacy COCO GAUFF called herself “a real person with real feelings” yesterday as fellow players backed a call for more privacy during tournaments, with Iga Swiatek saying they felt like“animals in the zoo”and Serena Williams defending her.

Nothing wrong with hating to lose.” Swiatek, who was also bundled out of the quar terfinals in Melbourne, by Elena Rybakina, said back-stage cameras could be too intrusive. “The question is, are we tennis players, or are we animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop, you know?,” the world No. 2 said. “Okay, that was exaggerating obviously, but it would be nice to have some privacy. It would be nice also to, I don’t know, have your own process and not always be observed. “It would be nice to have some space where you can do that without the whole world watching.” Sixth seed Jessica Pegula, who beat Amanda Anisimova to make the last four, agreed that the cameras off court were too intrusive. “Coco wasn’t wrong when she said the only place (that is private) is the locker room, which is crazy,” she said. “You’re just kind of going about your day. To feel like someone is constantly filming you... “I saw online people were zooming in on play ers’ phones and stuff like that. “That’s so unnecessary. I just think it’s really an invasion of privacy.” – AFP

JESSICA PEGULA said she will have to “crack the code” of Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open semifinals after dismantling error-strewn Amanda Anisimova yesterday in an all-American show down. The sixth seed won 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) to end fourth seeded Anisimova’s hopes of a third Grand Slam final in a row. Anisimova racked up 44 unforced errors to Pegula’s 21. Pegula is yet to drop a set in Melbourne and is arrowing in on her first major crown at the age of 31. The closest she has come was losing the 2024 US Open final to Aryna Sabalenka. “It’s awesome,” Pegula said of reaching her first Australian semifinal, having beaten defending champion Madison Keys in the previous round. “I thought it’s got to be coming (a semifinal), I feel like I play really good tennis here, I like the conditions here. I’ve been waiting for the time when I can break through.” Next up is Kazakh fifth seed Rybakina, who defeated second seed Iga Swiatek in their quarter final. Pegula and Rybakina have faced off six times

previously, with their head-to-record split at 3-3. “She’s really tough to play, she has a massive serve, big groundstrokes, cool as a cucumber, you get nothing out of her,” said Pegula. “She’s been playing some great tennis since the end of last year but I’m going to do my best to hopefully crack the code on her.” – After her defeat, Anisimova said she will “lose her mind” for a couple of days after the 24-year old’s hopes of a third Grand Slam final in a row imploded in a blur of unforced errors and with several angry shows of frustration. “I would say as a tennis player, you can be very irrational, and obviously I’m very grateful for the life that I have, the career I have,” said Anisimova, who in 2023 took an eight-month break from ten nis for her mental health. “But you kind of lose your mind after matches like this. I think that after a day like today, I’m going to completely lose all sense of rationality for, like, 48 hours. “That’s just kind of what goes into working so hard for something and then you have matches and days like this.” – AFP

Third seed Gauff was upset when cameras caught her smashing her racquet in the depths of the stadium on Tuesday after she was beaten in the Australian Open quarterfinals. The American was trying to find somewhere private to let out her frustrations and said she did not want to do so in front of fans including chil dren. “I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously they did,” Gauff said soon after. “So maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only pri vate place we have is the locker room.” A day after footage of her actions went viral online, Gauff posted on X : “I’m a real person with real feelings. I care a lot and I’m trying my best. Thank you to those who understand that.” United States great Williams came to her defence, writing on X : “Passion. Caring. Matters.