After an incredible 2,195-day winning streak, Novak Djokovic lost his opening match at the Australian Open on Friday against Jannik Sinner, 6-1 6-2 6-7(6-8) 6-3. The 22-year-old Sinner, who stopped Djokovic's attempt at an 11th championship in Melbourne, will now compete in his first grand slam final.
Furthermore, Djokovic's quest for an outright record 25th Grand Slam trophy must now be shelved due to the Italian's dominance throughout their three-hour and twenty-two-minute match.
After losing his first tournament set in Friday's semifinal, Sinner will meet Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final. This will make him the youngest male finalist at the Australian Open since Djokovic won the trophy in 2008.
Final Four of the Australian Open
After riding a 33-match winning run in Melbourne into the match, Djokovic seemed surprisingly careless in the first set.
Due to his aggressive play and pinpoint precision, he took a 2-0 lead in just one hour and thirteen minutes; Sinner made 29 unforced errors in the first two sets, compared to his eight.
In the third set, Djokovic stepped up his game to gain momentum but could not break Sinner's serve. This was a first for Djokovic: he had never before gone without a break-point opportunity in an entire grand slam match, according to sports news reports.
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