schema:articleBody
| - Facts and figures ahead of Thursday's Australian Open men's semi-final (x denotes seeding): Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) v Aslan Karatsev (RUS) Head-to-head: first meeting Fast facts Novak Djokovic Age: 33 World ranking: 1 Prize money: $145,656,177 Career titles: 81 Grand Slam titles: 17 Australian Open best: Champion (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020) Coach: Marian Vajda, Goran Ivanisevic The world number one's chance of taking a record-extending ninth Australian Open crown looked in jeopardy when he suffered a potentially tournament-ending abdominal injury in the third round against Taylor Fritz. But he battled back with the help of painkillers to win in five sets and his inury has improved as the tournament progressed, despite not training between matches. An 18th Grand Slam singles title on Sunday would leave him just two behind the all-time record shared by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Path to the semi-final: 1st rd: bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 2nd rd: bt Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 3rd rd: bt Taylor Fritz (USA x27) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 4th rd: bt Milos Raonic (CAN x14) 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Quarter-final: bt Alexander Zverev (GER x6) 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) Aslan Karatsev Age: 27 World ranking: 114 Prize money: $142,830 Career titles: 0 Grand Slam titles: 0 Australian Open best: Semi-final (2021) Coach: Yahor Yatsyk The surprise package of this year's Open, qualifier Karatsev became the first man in the Open era to reach a semi-final on his Grand Slam debut, and just the second qualifier to do so at the Australian Open after Bob Giltinan in 1977. He is also the lowest-ranked man, at 114, to make the semis at a Slam since Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001 when ranked 125. Projected to break into the world's top 50 for the first time in his injury-hit career when new rankings are announced next week. Path to the semi-final: 1st rd: bt Gianluca Mager (ITA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 2nd rd: bt Egor Gerasimov (BLR) 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 3rd rd: bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG x8) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 4th rd: bt Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x20) 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 Quarter-final: bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x18) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 afp
|