MELBOURNE, Australia -- There were plenty of reasons to suggest Jannik Sinner could spoil Novak Djokovic's quest for a record-breaking 25th major title when the pair met Friday in the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Sinner had been the most in-form player of the tournament, winning 15 consecutive sets en route to the final four. His dominance in the early rounds meant he was also the fresher of the two, with Djokovic having spent close to four additional hours on court through his first five matches. And then there was recent history; Sinner the only player on tour to have beaten Djokovic twice in the last 18 months.