Novak Djokovic advances to the Australian Open semifinals after Musetti retires with injury

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic advanced to the Australian Open semifinals after Lorenzo Musetti retired in the third set with an injury Wednesday after taking the first two sets of their quarterfinal.

The fifth-seeded Musetti won the first two sets 6-4, 6-3 but took a medical timeout for treatment on his upper right leg after being broken in the third game of the third. He played on for another game but couldn’t continue.

Djokovic, who was leading the third set 3-1, will continue his bid for an 11th Australian title and a record 25th major but he says he was lucky this time.

“I feel really sorry for him,” the 38-year-old Djokovic said. “He was a far better player — I was on my way home tonight.”

“These kinds of things happen in sport. It happened to me a few times,” he added, but “he should have been a winner today, no doubt.”

Djokovic took an early break and was a point away from a 3-0 lead in the first set before Musetti responded and took control of the match.

The situation appeared to get more dire for Djokovic when he needed a medical timeout after the second set for a serious blister on the ball of his right foot. He wasn’t moving his best, either.

But in tennis, no player takes any victory for granted. Just a few days ago, Djokovic received a walkover into the quarterfinals when Jakub Mensik withdrew 24 hours ahead of their scheduled fourth-round match with an abdominal injury.

Djokovic has seen it from the other side. None more dramatic than here last year when he had to quit the Australian Open semifinals with a torn leg muscle. He was booed off the court when he retired immediately after dropping the first set against Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic will next face the winner of Wednesday’s later quarterfinal between No. 8 Ben Shelton and two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner.

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