Good morning, Court Theorists! ☕️
Today’s tennis mood: Gutted, quizzical, and a side of unable to contain excitement.
Let’s tennis!
-Allen
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🎾 The cruelty: Lorenzo Musetti was in a position to end his Grand Slam goose egg against Novak Djokovic (0-3 in majors, 1-9 overall) in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Wednesday, until injury snatched that hope away. Musetti was up two sets to none when his upper right leg hampered him to the point of being unable to continue. Djokovic won: 4-6, 3-6, 3-1 (ret).
What he said: “I honestly have no words to describe how I’m feeling right now and how tough it is for me,” Musetti said in his post-match press conference. “I was feeling that the pain was increasing, and the problem was not going away.”
And what he said: “I was on my way home tonight,” said Djokovic. “These kinds of things happen in sport. It happened to me a few times, but being in the quarters of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up, and being in full control, it’s so unfortunate. I don’t know what else I can say and I really wish him a speedy recovery. He should have been a winner today, no doubt.”
The luck: Djokovic advanced to the quarterfinals by walkover after Jakub Mensik pulled out of the tournament due to injury. Or is it luck that players half Djokovic’s age can’t remain healthy while he trods along?
Next: Djokovic faces Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.
🎾 The numbers say it all: Amanda Anisimova emphatically did not have a good day at the office on Wednesday in her quarterfinal match against Jessica Pegula (Pegula won 6-2, 7-6). Anisimova had 44 unforced errors (11 games worth!). Pegula had less than half that at 21. Anisimova’s seven double faults weren’t a help, either.
What she said: “I was trying my best to just put the ball in the court and play higher percentage, but I literally missed every ball in the net or served into the stands,” Anisimova said. “I’m going to completely lose all sense of rationality for, like, 48 hours, and that’s just kind of what goes into working so hard for something, and then you have matches and days like this.”
Next: Pegula faces Elena Rybakina in the semifinals on Thursday.
🎾 Lost, but on top of the world: Ben Shelton may have lost convincingly to Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals on Wednesday — 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 — but you’d never know it by his post-match comments.
What he said: “I’m getting to the point now where I’m getting stopped up by the toughest challenge in the game for the most part and I’m close to bringing it all together,” he said. “It’s just going to take that one time where I do it to get me over the hump. It’s always been that way for me.”
And: “Certainly not discouraged from a performance like this, but I want to see myself get out in front and see what I can do from there in a match rather than falling behind because I know how I feel when I get out in front at slams. I feel like I’m untouchable. I guarantee the other guys at the top feel the exact same.”
Reality check: Shelton, now 1-9 against Sinner, got his sole win the first time they played in 2023. In fact, not only has Shelton now lost nine times in a row, but he hasn’t won a single set since that original match.
Takeaway: Be confident. And touch grass.
🎾 One to watch: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elina Svitolina (Semifinals - Australian Open - Melbourne): Watch this one for the competitive tension and drama we crave as tennis fans. Even with a lopsided head-to-head record, every match is a physical and psychological battle. It’s doubtful this one will be any different. Expect Sabalenka to go as big as she always does (but perhaps with a few more nerves creeping in). And marvel in Svitolina’s counterpunching skills until it’s time to go for her own screaming winners.
The record: Aryna Sabalenka leads the head-to-head record over Elina Svitolina, 5-1. Svitolina’s sole win came in 2020.
On the line: This match isn’t about ranking points or money. For Svitolina, there is some patriotic pride on the line in this particular match-up. But, more than anything, advancing one more round means a shot at a major title. For Sabalenka, this match represents getting one step closer to reclaiming what she views as her rightful trophy.
🎾 🏆 🎤 YOUR CALL
(Yesterday’s poll results: 61.9% of you called for Amanda Anisimova to defeat Jessica Pegula. Pegula won 6-2, 7-6.)
And that’s game.
