Novak Djokovic may have forgotten Stefanos Tsitsipas but, as he closed in on a fourth Australian Open semi-final in five years, the Greek would perhaps have done well to remember Djokovic. In a moment reminiscent of the episode that led to the Serb’s disqualification from the US Open in 2020, Tsitsipas vented his frustration on a stray ball late in the third set of a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 win over the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka, narrowly avoiding a ballboy in the process.
Had he made contact, Tsitsipas would have been instantly disqualified, shattering any hope of avenging his defeat to Djokovic in the 2021 French Open final – a meeting that appeared to slip Djokovic’s mind when he asked reporters on Monday whether the Athenian had ever contested a major final. Absent-mindedness or kidology? If Djokovic was trying to get inside the head of the man most likely to be standing between him and a 22nd grand slam title on Sunday, you could hardly blame him.
Tsitsipas has been on fire at this Australian Open. He has served with unprecedented venom and consistency. He has dominated opponents from the baseline with his mighty forehands and lithe movement. Above all, he has performed with renewed freedom and intensity while revealing a more relaxed and fun persona off it, currying favour with the locals in his on-court interviews. Which is why, after nine days in which big names have fallen like dominoes, it would have been a huge blow for the tournament had the Greek been given his marching orders.
It is a measure of how badly Tsistsipas craves this title that he let fly at the ball as it bounced off the backstop following a rifled winner from Lehecka. True, he had just dropped a return short off an inviting second serve with the Czech in peril at 15-30, 3-4. But as the scurrying ballboy halted and flinched, it was hard not to wonder what Tsitsipas, bearing down on a semi-final meeting with Karen Khachanov, was thinking. The Greek was three games from victory over Lehecka and has won all five of his previous matches against Khachanov, who earlier advanced after Sebastian Korda was forced to retire with a wrist injury while trailing 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 3-0. Why take the risk?
“I saw the ball kid when the ball came back,” said Tsitsipas. “I’m a professional tennis player. I was not aiming for the ball kid, obviously. I saw the wall, just went back towards the wall. The ball kid, in my eyes, was pretty far away from me. Would have really had to miss to hit that ball kid.”
Djokovic mounted a similar defence following a comparable incident in 2016 – “If I’m not close, I’m not close,” he snapped after firing a ball into the crowd at the ATP Finals – and we all know how that one turned out. Tsitsipas would do well to take note of the consternation of his peers.
“Speaking from experience, you’ve got to be careful when hitting balls around the court,” said Eurosport’s Tim Henman, who was famously defaulted from a doubles match at Wimbledon in 1995 after accidentally hitting a ball girl in similar circumstances.
“Tsitsipas just got really lucky,” agreed Jim Courier, a four-time grand slam champion, in his commentary for Australian TV. “He swings in anger and nearly hits the ball kid. If it does, he is shaking hands as a loser in this match. You cannot do that, you have to be careful. That was dangerous.”
Assuming he can remain dangerous for the right reasons, Tsitsipas will start as a clear favourite against Khachanov, who will be contesting his second grand slam semi-final in succession following his outstanding run at the US Open last September.