Crazy 1st movement
The two started the semifinals with a varied first set. After half an hour everything had looked like a clear victory for Djokovic. But when the score was 5: 1 and a set ball, the Serb agreed to a discussion with the referee about the shot clock and the towels – and then the turning point came.
Tommy Paul found his game better and better and shortened it to 5:5. By 6: 5, Djokovic hadn’t won a game and let the American get closer and closer. But he finally won it 7:5.
After that, the superstar from Serbia hardly had any more problems. In the second set, Djokovic managed an early break to make it 2-0 and then, after defending against three breakballs, he was able to increase it to 3-0 in an almost ten-minute game. This was the resistance of the first American in the Melbourne semifinals since Andy Roddick broken in 2009. This time Djokovic used his first chance to end the set and took the momentum with him. After breaks to 1:0 and 3:0, the preliminary decision in the third round was quickly made.
“Thank God I still had enough gas in my legs for that,” said Djokovic. “I’ve been in this situation so many times in my career and this experience helps me a lot,” he said on court.