Injured Novak Djokovic Escapes Elimination at Australian Open | Tennis

sport">There didn’t seem to be much going on for Djokovic, in the third round of the Australian Open against Fritz, after winning the first two sets (7-6, 6-4). Until a specific moment in the third set, Djokovic fell and probably suffered from his right side or an abdominal muscle.

sport">The Serb lost the set 6-3 and after a long treatment the fourth set was started, but Djokovic was unable to move properly. Whenever he missed, it sparked applause from the unsportsmanlike audience, which was clearly on Fritz’s side.

Surreal

sport">To make it even crazier, at 3-2 for Fritz in the fourth set, the fans present were asked to leave the stadium, due to the new Melbourne lockdown, a surreal experience.

sport">Suddenly the two fighting cocks had to continue in an empty stadium, while Fritz had the momentum to stop the match and Djokovic fought the pain. The game was paused for some time, but after the restart Fritz kept his concentration and forced a fifth set. And that with an injured Djokovic. So elimination was imminent.

sport">But there Djokovic – still moving with difficulty – seemed to put things in order and Fritz broke. The eight-time Australian Open winner no longer gave this away and at 5-2 it was on his second match point: 6-2, in other words, game, set and match. Djokovic then cried out.

Seven wins in a row in Melbourne

sport">He will take on Milos Raonic from Canada in the fourth round.

sport">Djokovic has already won seventeen matches in a row at the Australian Open. Since he first won the tournament in 2008, he has only lost to the fourth round once. In 2017 Djokovic was surprised by Denis Istomin.

–