Australian Open: Novak Djokovic loses to 22-year-old Jannik Sinner in four sets in semi final

Novak Djokovic has crashed out of the Australian Open after a shock defeat to Jannik Sinner in the semifinal of the Grand Slam on Friday (January 26).

Jannik Sinner emphatically announced himself at the grand stage by achieving what no player has managed to do in the past six years, defeating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

The 22-year-old Italian sensation entered the fray as a potential threat to Djokovic's pursuit of an 11th Melbourne crown, following a pair of victories over the Serbian at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup late in the previous season.

Even so, the sheer dominance displayed by Sinner in the semifinal's opening sets caught many by surprise. Djokovic was slayed at his own abode as Sinner prevailed in four sets. The third set presented a glimmer of hope for Djokovic, who fended off a match point in the tie-break, but Sinner's resilience was unyielding as he sealed a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 triumph in just over three hours.

The result was not the only element of shock, but also Djokovic's performance, which was staggeringly out of character. The Serbian maestro committed 54 unforced errors and astonishingly failed to challenge Sinner's serve.

Sinner, on the other hand, maintained an exceptionally high level of play without being pushed to his limits. Djokovic's struggles were not new to this tournament; he had been grappling with illness and an arduous journey to the semifinals, dropping sets more frequently than usual.

Sinner has now become the first Italian to reach the Grand Slam Final. Djokovic, a seasoned strategist in five-set battles, could not find his rhythm, and Sinner capitalised on the continued string of errors to take a lead in the second set.

Despite a brief resurgence of the crowd's support for Djokovic, Sinner maintained his composure to serve out the set. Recollections of their Wimbledon encounter two years prior, where Sinner relinquished a two-set lead, served as a reminder that the task was not complete. Yet, Djokovic's sporadic resurgence, including a tie-break in the third set, was not enough to deter the focused Italian.