Adelaide International: Novak Djokovic To Face Daniil Medvedev In Semifinal

Novak Djokovic beat Denis Shapovalov 6-3 6-4 at the Adelaide International on Friday to set up a semifinal with Daniil Medvedev. (More Tennis News)

ꦿThe combined ATP-WTA event is a warmup for this year's Australian Open, which the top-seeded Djokovic missed last year after being barred from the country because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

ꦉMedvedev, the runner-up last year to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open, defeated fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3 6-3 on Friday.

▨"It's never easy to play your compatriot," Medvedev said. 

ꦆ"I'm happy that I managed to really raise my level, especially in the end of both sets, and really happy to be through to the semis."

💃Medvedev is the 2021 US Open champion, but has lost twice in the finals in Australia — and in 2021 it was against Djokovic.

🦩"For sure I played well last year and I'm playing well right now," Medvedev said, "To be honest, that's all that matters. In order to win a slam, or be in the final, you have to be at your best for seven matches."

ꩵ"I managed to do it once and I was really close last year," he added. 

ಞ"And that's what I'm going to try to do again in a few weeks in Melbourne."

🦄In other quarterfinals on Friday, American Sebastian Korda defeated sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-1 and Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan beat Alexei Popyrin of Australia. Korda will face Nishioka in the semifinals.

🍃Teenage qualifier Linda Noskova also beat two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka. The 18-year-old Czech player overcame Azarenka 6-4 6-7(3) 7-6 (6) in a quarterfinal that lasted nearly three hours.

🐻A first-round winner over third-seeded Daria Kasatkina, Noskova has now won five consecutive matches in only her sixth appearance in the main draw of a WTA event.

🍨World No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka was the first woman through to the semifinals after beating Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 7-5.