Despite being not fully fit, Novak Djokovic is favored to win his semi-final against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. The article highlights Djokovic's mental strength and Zverev's history of faltering under pressure in big tournaments. It also discusses Zverev's strengths as a player and the challenge awaiting Ben Shelton in his semi-final against Jannik Sinner.
World No 7 is not fully fit but has mental edge in semi-final over opponent who has repeatedly cowered under pressure
ven before he had undergone medical tests, defined the nature of his physical ailment and planned for his recovery, Novak Djokovic knew what was in store for him in the days after his remarkableJust as he suggested post-match, Djokovic has not been present on the practice courts at Melbourne Park for Friday’s semi-final with. After being absent from the practice schedule on Wednesday, his scheduled 2pm training session had been wiped from the list on Thursday morning.
And while Zverev has settled at the top of the game, he has failed to follow up his early promise in the later stages of the biggest tournaments. His resume includes two grand slam finals and eight semi-finals, he has won the ATP Finals twice and seven Masters 1000 titles. In the most important moments, however, he has repeatedly crumbled.
With Djokovic’s physical status still uncertain, the No 1 seed, Jannik Sinner, is the tournament favourite. After his toughIt has been two years since Ben Shelton left the United States for the first time and began his first season as a professional.
Against an imperious Sinner who has won 19 consecutive matches at hard court grand slams, the challenge before Shelton is simple. He will need to produce the very best serving performance of his life, to back up that with a relentless attack and back himself against an opponent who has spent the past year thriving under pressure. As he enters Rod Laver Arena for one of his biggest matches, Shelton will learn plenty about himself.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN NOVAK DJOKOVIC ALEXANDER ZVEREV MENTAL TOUGHNESS PRESSURE
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