The highly anticipated first semifinal duel of the 2024 Australian Open features Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. This exciting match is scheduled for Thursday night (Eastern Time) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic, the top favorite to win the 2024 Australian Open, has demonstrated his dominance throughout the tournament. However, in the semifinals, he faces a formidable opponent in Jannik Sinner, who has been in outstanding form, winning each of his five matches by 3-0.
Odds Provided by Sports Odds Direct:
- Novak Djokovic: -210
- Jannik Sinner: +180
As Djokovic approaches his 37th birthday, he may not have many more opportunities to solidify his Greatest of All Time (GOAT) status. With 24 Grand Slam titles and a record 10 Australian Open victories, Djokovic has a storied history in the sport.
Djokovic has a particular affinity for playing in Australia, having won each of the last four Australian Open tournaments he participated in. Notably, he missed the 2022 tournament due to his vaccination status against COVID-19 but was still considered the top favorite for that event.
While Djokovic is favored to win the 2024 Australian Open, his performance has been less than stellar. Although he has won all his matches, he lost a set in three of his five contests, including a nearly four-hour match against Taylor Fritz, ranked 12th in the ATP rankings, on Tuesday morning.
Now, Djokovic is set to face Jannik Sinner, who is currently fourth in the ATP rankings. Sinner’s last two encounters with Djokovic resulted in victories for the Italian, including a 2-1 win at the Davis Cup last November and a similar result at the ATP Finals ten days earlier. However, these tournaments do not hold the same significance for Djokovic as the Australian Open.
Sinner, riding high on confidence, has been in exceptional form since arriving in Melbourne. He has won every 2024 Australian Open match in straight sets, defeating tough opponents along the way. In his previous match, Sinner dispatched ATP No. 5 Andrey Rublev in just 2 hours and 41 minutes.
Djokovic needs to bring his A-game on Thursday night to advance to the final. The winner of this semifinal will secure a spot in the championship match, facing the victor of the other semifinal clash.
