MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic admitted he believed his Australian Open campaign was headed for an early end before an unexpected turn of events handed him a place in the quarter-finals, after opponent Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire with injury.
Musetti had been in complete control of the match, racing to a 6-4, 6-3 lead after two hours of play and looking poised to eliminate the Serbian star. However, the momentum shifted dramatically early in the third set when Musetti appeared to strain a leg muscle during his opening service game.
Struggling to move freely, the Italian fell behind 3-1 before making the difficult decision to withdraw, approaching the net to shake hands with Djokovic.
Djokovic, who was himself forced to retire from last year’s semi-final due to injury, looked visibly stunned by the sudden ending. Acknowledging his good fortune, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said: “I don’t know what to say, except that I feel really sorry for him.”
