World number one and 17-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic will face a relative unknown and Russia’s Aslan Karatsev in the 2021 Australian Open semifinal to be played on Thursday, February 18. Get regular updates in this live blog & streaming options on this men’s singles semifinal Melbourne Park as the hunt for a place in the final makes for an interesting viewing.
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Novak Djokovic v Aslan Karatsev Live Score
Djokovic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 Karatsev (* denotes next server, please refresh for the latest score)
Other Djokovic v Karatsev Match Details
- Match Timing: 7.30 pm AEDT (3.30 am Eastern Time, 9 am GMT, 5.30 pm Tokyo time, 2 pm IST)
- Djokovic v Karatsev Predictions & Tips Here
- Live Streaming & TV Options Here
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Live Updates
Set 3, Game 8
All too simple for Novak who sends in a punishing first serve for which Karatsev has hardly a return. Surprisingly, a double-fault follows soon after, but another couple of good serves give Djokovic two match-points and he finishes things off with an ace. Game, Set and Match, Djokovic!
Set 3, Game 7
Not the best serving game from Karatsev, who starts off by winning the first point but then gives Djokovic an easy chance to smoke a winner before himself dishing out an unforced error. Djokovic returns the compliment but Karatsev then hits one wide to give the world number one a break-point.
And Djokovic converts that by smashing a return back at Karatsev who can only fend it off wide, bringing a “come on!” from Novak. Broken again and he will now serve for the match.
Set 3, Game 6
Two good serves gives Djokovic the early lead in this game but a sniff of a short ball from him and Karatsev pounces all over it to draw an error from the world number one. Not that it is going to make too much of a difference to the world number one who gets involved in a slug-fest of a rally which Djokovic wins when Karatsev hits it long.
An unforced error from Djokovic brings Karatsev back, but a second serve ace means the world number one is just two games away from the final.
Set 3, Game 5
Karatsev starts off well to win the first point, leaving Novak struggling for answers but the defending champion comes back to win the next two points including the second in an excellent rally. Another such rally sees Karatsev mis-hit it into the net, leaving Djokovic with two break-points.
Unfortunately for Karatsev, his first serves haven’t gotten going this set and it shows again in this game, with Djokovic taking toll of the same. He finishes off the game on his very first break-point to take a 3-2 lead.
Set 3, Game 4
Wow. What a booming forehand winner, probably one of his strongest shots this match and it takes Karatsev to a 30-15 lead on Djokovic’s serve. This is after the Serb misses a backhand by hitting it long. Next up, he is led to a scampering run that ends up him hitting it wide again and Karatsev then smashes a winner to break back!
Who would have thought but that’s some excellent hitting from Karatsev. Back on serve now.
Set 3, Game 3
An excellent rally at 15-0 sees both players rush to the net but Karatsev has the last laugh as he passes one down straight with Djokovic guessing it wrongly. Another excellent serve gives Karatsev three game-points, and he finishes off the game with an ace.
Set 3, Game 2
Back to the one-way traffic of the past as Djokovic races to a 30-0 lead on serve. Karatsev takes toll of a second serve, forcing the world number one to hit wide but that’s the only point he wins in that game as Djokovic smacks through two good serves to clinch it.
Set 3, Game 1
Opening game of the third and Djokovic has taken the Karatsev serve to the cleaners. Or rather, the Russian is finding it difficult to get moving here, goes down three break-points.
Karatsev finds a way to hammer a backhand winner off the first, and then has a chance to smash a forehand winner but shanks it too wide. That was superb returning from Djokovic and poor smashing from his less experienced opponent. Broken!
Set 2, Game 10
A second chance to serve out the set for Djokovic and this time around he starts off with an ace. An excellent second serve forces Karatsev to hit it long.
While the Russian wins a point back, it takes Djokovic an intense rally to get him a couple of set-points. Karatsev saves the first one with a quick rally and then the second with a very long, and probably one of the best rally of the day as the Russian goes for the drop-shot which Djokovic misses in the end.
Set 2, Game 9
A good, wide serve gets Karatsev on the board but too much power on his next set of groundstrokes takes it to 15-15. Another solid serve should have given Karatsev the point there but the net cord isn’t the Russian’s friend today.
Another solid serve levels things up before Karatsev builds it up nicely to make it to the net before hitting a backhand winner down the line. Djokovic comes up with a staggering winner, leaving Karatsev stunned but that doesn’t stop him from serving an ace that brings another game-point. Another excellent serve is all that the Russian needs to hold on to his serve.
And what a return from Karatsev, getting him a break-point now! Which Karatsev switch was turned on all of a sudden?
Djokovic saves one break-point but Karatsev gets himself another one, this time helped by the net cord as the ball falls in his favour. The Serb serves up an ace to bring it back to deuce, and then screams out in delight as Karatsev hits one long.
He then finishes off the set with a deep forehand that gets hit long by the Russian. Excellent play in that game but Karatsev has nothing to show for it.
Set 2, Game 8
Not the greatest start to the game as Djokovic shanks one into the net but that is soon followed by Karatsev himself hitting one long before he builds it up nicely with a solid serve to smash his way to a winner.
The world number one has another chance to repeat the same but hits it long for a 30-30, and a double-fault later, Karatsev gets his first break-point of the encounter. Hmm, that’s come out of nowhere, but Djokovic saves it courtesy a forehand error off the Karatsev racquet.
A brilliant return of serve – and by that I mean really brilliant – gives Karatsev his second break-point and this time around it’s Djokovic’s error that helps him get one of the breaks back. Wow. Didn’t see this coming.
Set 2, Game 7
The struggles have reached unprecedented levels with Karatsev struggling to win points, forget games ever since the third game of this set. Which is why he will take the kind of hold he made in that game, winning to 15 to add a game to his tally.
Novak will serve for the set when he returns from the break.
Set 2, Game 6
This continues to remain a clinical display from Djokovic, serving and returning like the champion player he is. Starts off with a rally that goes his way and follows it up with back to back serves without return. Easy hold yet again for the world number one.
Set 2, Game 5
Getting more and more difficult as the gulf between the quality of their play is becoming as wide as their ranking now. Djokovic invariably toys with his opponent’s serve, and breaks to love, getting some help from the net cord on his way.
Set 2, Game 4
Some brilliant serving from Djokovic gets him 30-0 up, leaving his opponent shorn of answers. And an even more excellent return to the Karatsev return sends hi 40-0 up in a jiffy.
Some help from the net cord ensures Karatsev remains in the game and he turns that into two points in a row with a backhand winner that lands just inside. A probing rally testing out the Karatsev backhand follows soon after which he misses by hitting wide, giving Novak the game.
Set 2, Game 3
An amazing cross-court return from Novak after a poor first point from Karatsev see gives the world number one a 30-0 lead on his opponent’s serve. And a very deep return from the Novak racquet forces Karatsev to hit rather long and afford three break-points again…
…he needs just one to break, taking it off a Karatsev double-fault. Going pear-shaped after a solid start for the Russian.
Set 2, Game 2
Couple of booming serves from Djokovic gives him a 30-0 lead but an excellent return from Karatsev off the second serve has Novk scrambling for the ball.
Another excellent serve takes Novak to 40-15 and a kick, second serve ensures Djokovic wouldn’t be having any worries in holding on for 1-1.
Set 2, Game 1
Some good defensive play from Karatsev keeps him in the point before he smashes a winner on serve to get on board. Karatsev again gets close to the Djokovic drop-shot, forcing the world number one to hit one wide, much to his frustration before the Russian bangs an ace down the middle.
A good strong serve, followed by a forehand winner finishes the first game of the second set.
Set 1, Game 9
Errors starting to creep into Karatsev’s game and one such error gives Djokovic a 15-0 lead. Djokovic forces the next one from his opponent’s racquet, who shanks it into the net before the Serb dishes out an ace. And he makes it two in two to win the game and the set.
Karatsev fell away a little after a solid start.
Set 1, Game 8
Karatsev rushes to the net on the first point but Djokovic is quick to play a pass which the Russian barely gets to before the world number one finishes off the point. A poor forehand from Karatsev yet again goes long and for the second time in as many serving games, he falls 0-30 behind.
This time around, however, he then hits the next one too long again to leave himself three break-points down. And an excellent rally later, Djokovic manages the much-vaunted break! Djokovic will be serving for the set here.
Set 1, Game 7
An excellent second serve wide of Karatsev gets Novak going in the game and then a backhand error from the Russian sees his opponent go 30-0 up.
And whoa, what a turnaround from Karatsev, who was down for the count in that rally but comes back to lob a ball back and then smashes one down to earn the point. Some booming groundstrokes from Novak make it really tough for Karatsev who mis-hits a couple of shots into the net to allow the Serb to get away with the game.
Some shot-making already.
Set 1, Game 6
A double-fault starts off the Karatsev serve and Djokovic then draws him into a rally that runs the Russian around a bit before the depth of his groundstrokes makes Karatsev hit long. A chance for Djokovic here as Karatsev starts off with a fault but then drills some power into the rally to win the point.
A booming serve helps Karatsev draw parity in the game, and he does something similar with a bludgeoning couple of forehands to get him a game-point. Finishes off the game with something similar, almost like he has no cares in the world.
Set 1, Game 5
“He hasn’t been blind-sided by Novak’s brilliance so far,” reckons the commentator and there is a lot of truth to it. Djokovic drops the first point, unable to make a return to the powerful Karatsev return but he quickly comes back with two excellent serves to edge forward.
A powerful, hard-hitting rally follows soon after that, pushing Djokovic into hitting it long and levelling things out in the game. Karatsev tries to attack his opponent’s second serve but hits it just wide, for game-point. And he does that with a powerful second serve to take a 3-2 lead.
Set 1, Game 4
A good serve to kick things off from Karatsev with Djokovic failing to make the return count and he follows it up with an ace next up. An excellent rally leads to both players volleying at the net and has Karatsev finishing off the point with utter finesse, drawing a thumbs up from his opponent as well. Three game-points for the Russian…
…Djokovic saves the first via an unforced error from Karatsev, in a rally where Djokovic looked to be putting a lot of pressure on his opponent’s groundstrokes. A scintillating winner off the forehand cuts Karatsev’s lead even further, but a quick, wide serve helps the Russian finish off the game to level things off.
Set 1, Game 3
Karatsev gets into a couple of solid rallies with Djokovic and they are the two exchanges to make it 15-15 even as a butterfly tries to distract the Serb’s serving routine. Doesn’t bother him too much as he slams an excellent first serve in to take the lead only for Karatsev to drill a cross-court forehand winner, much to the surprise of Djokovic.
Djokovic responds with an ace and then takes the game, hard-fought alright, with a backhand unforced error off the Karatsev racquet.
Set 1, Game 2
A good rally to start things off for Karatsev but he then hits one long to give Novak the early point. A good, solid serve gets Karatsev on the board, and he doubles that up with another solid serve down the middle.
Karatsev sends down a quick second serve off the next and Djokovic is unable to control his return, and when he does get some control off the next serve, Karatsev jumps down to the net, forcing the world number one to send it long. 1-1.
Set 1, Game 1
Novak to serve and we start off with a good serve, a couple of good returns and a forehand error from Karatsev leaving Djokovic 15-0 up. Karatsev tries to attack Novak’s second serve next but fails to get it away before the world number one slams an ace to go 40-0 up.
And then another solid serve to hold rather easily to kick things off.
7.45 am local time
The toss and other photo-op formalities are out of the way and we are looking at the two players getting their warm-up done.
Incidentally, Karatsev has jumped up to 42nd in the world irrespective of the result of this match while Djokovic will retain his number one ranking now that Rafael Nadal has been sent packing from the tournament.
7.30 pm local time
Not too far away from the start of this intriguing encounter between the world number one, Novak Djokovic and a player who was asked in the post quarterfinal press conference, “Who are you? Where have you come from?”.
If you haven’t watched him yet, this is a good chance to do so (here’s how you can watch this match live streaming) because Karatsev has made it to the semifinal despite starting out as a qualifier.
Interestingly, Djokovic starts off bidding for his 18th Grand Slam title, while Karatsev has played a mere 18 sets in his Grand Slam career.
Djokovic v Karatsev Preview
A muscle injury or not, Djokovic has time and again shown the gulf in the quality between him and the rest of the field, especially on hard court surfaces. And that has been on display yet again this tournament, when despite his fitness concerns during the match against Taylor Fritz, the top-ranked Serb has found ways to win matches.
While Fritz managed to come back from two sets down to level their third round match, Djokovic put it past him in the final set, before overcoming both Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev in tough four-setters.
If this is what an injured Djokovic is capable of, then it’s not tough to imagine how things would turn out if that wasn’t the case. And with his fitness having improved greatly and with his opponent a Russian who had never won a match in Grand Slam tennis before this, it shouldn’t be that big a deal for him.
So who is standing between Djokovic and a sure-shot place in the Australian Open final?
It’s Aslan Karatsev, a qualifier ranked outside the top 100 who was on his main draw debut at a major coming into this tournament. He had a couple of easy opponents to start things off, but it was followed by wins over Diego Schwartzman and Felix Auger-Aliassime, both of whom should have overcome him given their own quality.
His fighting qualities came to the fore in both those matches, as they did against Grigor Dimitrov, who looked to be running away with their quarterfinal encounter. An injury followed soon after this for the Bulgarian and Karatsev took full toll to complete another comeback win and set up this date with Djokovic.
The question now is whether the Russian can add some surprise to his opponent here?
Follow our live blog & updates here from 3 pm local time (2 pm BST or 9 am Eastern time) for the Djokovic v Karatsev match.
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