Novak Djokovic crashes out in Brisbane while Aryna Sabalenka eases through | Tennis

Novak Djokovic suffered a shock 7-6 (6), 6-3 defeat to Reilly Opelka within the quarter-finals of the Brisbane Worldwide on Friday whereas the ladies’s No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, cruised into the semi-finals with a cushty 6-3, 6-4 win over Marie Bouzkova.

Djokovic was punished for a flat, impotent efficiency as he struggled to impose himself in opposition to a wonderful Opelka. The defeat marks one other missed alternative for Djokovic as he pursues a milestone a hundredth title. He’ll now head to Melbourne to finish preparations for the Australian Open, a a lot larger precedence, the place he’ll meet up with Andy Murray for his or her first match collectively.

Opelka, in the meantime, was impressed from the start of the match and held his composure within the closing moments as he served out to like for the most important win of his profession. Opelka stands at 6ft 11in and the American boasts one of many largest serves on this planet, which he used fantastically, firing 16 aces and going through just one break level all through.

“He’s the best tennis participant the game has ever seen,” stated Opelka. “It’s troublesome being in that place. He can scout me and the opposite opponents all day lengthy. The fact is we’ve got nothing to lose coming in in opposition to him. He’s the best participant ever so you find yourself enjoying extra free and you find yourself going and taking much more dangers as a result of it’s your solely likelihood.

“In the event you play your regular degree and even above your degree, he’s going to win each time. It’s powerful in his place as a result of he will get guys who’re good gamers that roll the cube. On a day like this when all of the issues go my method, that’s the way it works out.”

The victory marks a major step ahead for Opelka, who was off the ATP tour for nearly two years between 2022 and 2024 after present process two wrist operations and a hip surgical procedure. Having been ranked as extremely as No 17 in 2022, Opelka is at present No 293 and getting into tour-level tournaments with a protected rating as he tries to return to the highest ranges of the game persistently.

“It was powerful,” he stated. “Numerous months, there have been quite a lot of doubts. I undoubtedly watched quite a lot of my pals on the TV, I watched Tommy [Paul], Taylor [Fritz], Frances [Tiafoe] and Ben [Shelton] do nice, which was enjoyable but in addition motivating for me, it undoubtedly stored me within the sport. I watched Novak change into the best after which two years on, quite a lot of the time you end up questioning: ‘What would Novak do?’ in that scenario.”

Sabalenka, in the meantime, has eased into the 2025 season with a string of stable performances earlier than her Australian Open title defence subsequent week. She has now received 26 of her previous 27 matches in Australia, a run that features two consecutive Australian Open titles, a WTA 500 title in Adelaide and a closing final yr in Brisbane. She is but to drop a set in her first three matches this yr.

Sabalenka will face a a lot harder problem in Saturday’s semi-final in opposition to the in-form 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4, 7-6 (2). Andreeva upset Sabalenka within the quarter-finals of final yr’s French Open.

“We had nice battles up to now and we performed an exhibition collectively in Abu Dhabi so I acquired to know her just a little higher,” stated Sabalenka. “Good individual, nice participant and I at all times have nice battles in opposition to her.

Aggressive participant, serving properly, transferring properly, hitting the ball fairly clear so it’s going to be an important battle in opposition to her.”