Djokovic will not discuss potential Nadal showdown yet

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will be expected to reach the final in Melbourne, but the top seed is not getting ahead of himself.

Published : Jan 23, 2019 19:18 IST

Nadal comes up against Tsitsipas in the other semifinal, with the expectation that the top two players in the rankings will compete for the Aus Open title.
Nadal comes up against Tsitsipas in the other semifinal, with the expectation that the top two players in the rankings will compete for the Aus Open title.
lightbox-info

Nadal comes up against Tsitsipas in the other semifinal, with the expectation that the top two players in the rankings will compete for the Aus Open title.

Novak Djokovic refused to entertain questions about a potential Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal after sealing his spot in the last four when Kei Nishikori retired due to injury.

Djokovic will face first-time grand slam semifinalist Lucas Pouille, having spent only 52 minutes on Rod Laver Arena before Nishikori quit due to an issue with his right quad on Wednesday.

Nadal comes up against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the other semifinal , with the expectation that the top two players in the rankings will compete for the title at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

World number one Djokovic, aiming to become the first man to win the tournament seven times, was in no mood to discuss the possibility of a mouth-watering showdown with Nadal after staying on course to make history.

The top seed replied when asked if he was prepared to face the Spaniard: "Right now it's my press conference, so it will be nice to talk about me more than Nadal. If you want to talk about our possible encounter, we talk about that if we both win semis."

 

Djokovic expressed his sympathy for Nishikori, who came through three five-set contests to reach the last eight.

The 14-time grand slam champion said: "I'm really sorry to see him go through pain. He's had some tough injuries in the last couple of years. I'm sure he's not feeling great about ending the grand slam this way.

"But he's had some marathon matches this tournament that probably have taken the toll on his body."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment