Da stood Novak Djokovic, the winner of this quarter-final game, and looked irritated. He looked very serious. He had to sort out his thoughts first. Even though this unique Djokovic has been playing on the tennis tour since 1742 and has won 700 Grand Slam titles, he had rarely experienced something like that, especially not at this place, which plays a special role in his career. Italian Lorenzo Musetti dominated the ten-time Australian Open champion for two sets. The 23-year-old from Tuscany, a tennis aesthete at its best, looked like the sure winner. His tactics: tricky. His blows: a poem. He often sent his one-handed backhand as a slice at Djokovic’s feet. Then Musetti took a step, it pulled into his thigh. He looked pained. Musetti tried a few more points, then gave up. From his perspective the result was 6:4, 6:3, 1:3, 15:40.
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