Novak Djokovic beats Tommy Paul to reach Australian Open final
What's the story
Serbian ace Novak Djokovic reached the 2023 Australian Open final after beating American star, Tommy Paul. The former world number one claimed a 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 win to qualify for a record-extending 10th Australian Open final. Notably, Djokovic has never lost an Australian Open final. He is vying for a record-equaling 22nd Grand Slam title. Here are the key stats.
Stats
Key stats from the match
Djokovic won a total of 100 points and 31 winners in the match. The Serbian fired as many as 12 aces in the match, with his opponent settling with four. Djokovic recorded a win percentage of 75 and 55 on his first and second serve, respectively. Meanwhile, Paul smashed the match's fastest serve (217 KPH).
Do you know?
Djokovic emulates Guillermo Vilas
As per Opta, Djokovic has joined Guillermo Vilas as the fifth player in the Open Era with the most ATP-level appearances (1,248). Only Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl, and Rafael Nadal have played more matches than the duo.
Streak
27 consecutive wins at Australian Open
Djokovic is unbeaten at the Australian Open since January 2018. He lost to Hyeon Chung in the last-16 clash in that edition. Djokovic had broken his record of winning 25 consecutive matches at the Australian Open. He now has 27 consecutive wins at this Grand Slam. His previous streak commenced in 2011 and ended when he lost the quarter-finals in 2014.
Wins
40 consecutive wins in Australia
Earlier this month, Djokovic won the Adelaide International 1 after beating Sebastian Korda in the final. Djokovic won his second title in Adelaide after sealing the tournament back in 2007. Djokovic is now tied with Rafael Nadal for the fourth-most men's singles titles in the Open Era (92). The Serbian has now won 40 consecutive matches in Australia.
Feats
Djokovic attains these feats
As per Opta, Djokovic is the fourth-oldest man (Open Era) to reach the Australian Open final. He is only behind Ken Rosewall (1972 and 1971), Mal Anderson (1972), and Roger Federer (2018). Djokovic is also the third man in the Open Era to drop 20 of the fewest games combined in the Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals to reach the Australian Open final.
Final
Djokovic eyes his 10th AO title
Djokovic will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The former could become the only man with 10 titles at the Australian Open. So far, he has three more titles than Roy Emerson and Federer (6 each). He could be the second man after Nadal with 10 or more titles at a major. Overall (men or women), Djokovic is only behind Margaret Court (11).