Summary

  • Defending champion Jannik Sinner beats eighth seed Ben Shelton 6-3 6-4 6-4 to set up semi-final with Novak Djokovic

  • Djokovic scrapes through to semi-finals - Lorenzo Musetti led by two sets before retiring injured

  • "He was by far the better player, I was on my way home," says Djokovic

  • Elena Rybakina ends Iga Swiatek's career Grand Slam hopes

  • Rybakina will face Jessica Pegula in semi-finals after American beat Amanda Anisimova

  • Great Britain's Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid to meet in men's wheelchair singles quarter-final after first-round wins on Wednesday

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  1. What's happened so far today?published at 08:06 GMT 28 January

    Iga Swiatek's bid to complete the career Grand Slam at this year's Australian Open was ended by Kazakh fifth seed Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals.

    Reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek lost 7-5 6-1 as Rybakina used her power to devastating effect.

    Rybakina will face American sixth seed Jessica Pegula following her 6-2 7-6 (7-1) win over Amanda Anisimova.

    And the big news of the day is that Novak Djokovic is through to a 13th Australian Open semi-final after Lorenzo Musetti retired injured when he was two sets up.

  2. 'You lose your mind after matches like these'published at 08:02 GMT 28 January

    Pegula 6-2 7-6 (7-1) Anisimova

    BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    Amanda AnisimovaImage source, Getty Images

    Amanda Anisimova, speaking after her quarter-final defeat by Jessica Pegula: "I was trying my best to put the ball in the court and play higher percentage but I literally missed every ball into the net or served in to the stands. She was playing great tennis and I was playing like that.

    "As a tennis player, you can be very irrational and I'm very grateful for the life and career I have but you kind of lose your mind after matches like these. After a day like today, I'm going to lose complete rationality for like 48 hours, which is what goes into [it after] working so hard for something and then you have days like this. It makes tennis different to any other career I say.

    "It makes tennis very tough - we have a great life and I'm grateful for what I do but it's definitely very hard to process and go through."

  3. Hewett, Reid and British doubles players progress in Melbournepublished at 07:57 GMT 28 January

    Alfie HewettImage source, Getty Images

    Great Britain will have two representatives in the semi-finals of the men's doubles.

    Luke Johnson and Polish partner Jan Zielinski are through to the last four pairs, as are Neal Skupski and American Christian Harrison.

    They are in opposite halves of the draw so could potentially meet in the final.

    Meanwhile, the start of the wheelchair tournaments was delayed until today because of the extreme heat on Tuesday.

    Britain's Alfie Hewett (pictured) is the top seed in the men's wheelchair singles and he won his first-round match 6-2 6-1 against Japan's Takuya Miki.

    He will next face fellow Briton Gordon Reid, who also won his singles opener today. They are partners in the men's wheelchair doubles and they are just about to start their quarter-final match.

    Gregory Slade and Andy Lapthorne were beaten in their respective quad singles first-round matches.

  4. Postpublished at 07:57 GMT 28 January

    We'll continue to bring you reaction to Novak Djokovic's progress to the semi-finals, but we'll have a quick sweep around now to see what else has happened today and then start to build up to Jannik Sinner's quarter-final against Ben Shelton.

  5. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Gutting for Musetti'published at 07:52 GMT 28 January

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    Questions need to be asked of the tennis calendar. The players say they are burnt out yet more tournaments are added or made longer. Injuries are unfortunate and it’s gutting for Musetti, but it seems to be happening more often, which ruins the spectacle of a grand slam.

    Jamie

  6. Semi-finals taking shapepublished at 07:49 GMT 28 January

    Iga Swiatek shakes hands with Elena RybakinaImage source, Getty Images

    With just one more quarter-final to come across the men's and women's singles competitions, let's take a look at how the semi-final line-ups are shaping up.

    Earlier today, Elena Rybakina earlier ended Iga Swiatek's career Grand Slam hopes, while Jessica Pegula beat Amanda Anisimova.

    Women's singles:

    • Aryna Sabalenka v Elina Svitolina
    • Jessica Pegula v Elena Rybakina

    Men's singles:

    • Carlos Alcaraz v Alexander Zverev
    • Novak Djokovic v Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton
  7. Postpublished at 07:44 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Novak Djokovic has made the semi-finals at the Australian Open four years in a row for the first time in his career.

    He has now reached the last four at the past five Grand Slam tournaments, but that is where his challenge was ended on all four occasions last year.

    It was Djokovic who was forced to retire at the Australian Open last year when he met Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, while he lost to Jannik Sinner at the French Open and Wimbledon before defeat by Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open. He failed to win a set in any of those matches.

  8. 'Djokovic all out of sorts'published at 07:39 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Annabel Croft
    Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It was extraordinary to witness the way it unfolded at the end of the match. It was such a one-sided affair up until the final stages.

    Musetti was absolutely sensational while Djokovic looked all out of sorts and I was noticing that he wasn't really running for the ball. He looked really unbalanced and he wasn't really tracking those balls down.

    Suddenly, Djokovic got his trainer out and there was a massive amount of taping across his shoulders, so there's clearly an issue in the upper body, but then he took his socks and shoes off, ripped off a bandage around a foot and we could see the most gaping blister.

    It was awful - very deep, very large and right on the ball of his foot which explains why he wasn't tracking. He joked afterwards that he hopes to repair his feet in a day and a half but those did not look good.

  9. Postpublished at 07:35 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Novak Djokovic will begin his semi-final having not won a set since the third round...

    Novak Djokovic scratches his headImage source, Getty Images
  10. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Miraculous escape'published at 07:33 GMT 28 January

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    The Djoker gets a miraculous escape there! Gutting for Musetti but it's clear he'll be back stronger. Maybe the tennis gods are on Novak's side this year...

    Ryan

  11. Postpublished at 07:30 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Novak Djokovic will be able to sit back, relax and let his blisters recover while Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton battle it out to join him in Friday's semi-final.

    Reigning champion Sinner and American eighth seed Shelton go head-to-head in the night match from about 8am UK time.

    Don't go anywhere!

    Novak DjokovicImage source, Getty Images
  12. 'Definitely not happy - but hope I can return to my best'published at 07:26 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Finally from Novak Djokovic, on how he will spend the rest of the day: "I will watch the match [between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton]. I will watch my match with my team, and try to get some insight into both these guys' game.

    "But my main priority remains my game, I played really well until today throughout the whole tournament.

    "Today I am definitely not happy with my performance but it's another day in the office and hopefully in another day's time I can be at my best because that's what's going to be needed."

  13. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Musetti's time will come'published at 07:23 GMT 28 January

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    If sport can lift you to ecstatic highs, it can equally drag you to tragic lows. And that also goes for the fans of the best hands in tennis, Lorenzo Musetti. His genuine genius is a huge and undeserved loss to the tournament. Your time will come, sir!

    Mike

  14. Postpublished at 07:19 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    The highs...

    Lorenzo MusettiImage source, Getty Images

    ... and the lows.

    Lorenzo MusettiImage source, Getty Images

    Sport can't half be cruel at times.

  15. Listen to Tennis Breakfastpublished at 07:15 GMT 28 January

    BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    What a morning we've had so far in Melbourne.

    Listen to all the reaction to Novak Djokovic's progression on Tennis Breakfast, which has just started on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

    You can find it by clicking on the link at the top of this page or by heading to BBC Sounds.

    From 08:00 GMT, there will be commentary of Jannik Sinner's quarter-final against Ben Shelton.

  16. 'I am going to double my prayers tonight'published at 07:11 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Novak Djokovic was also asked whether he felt off his game as a result of having three days off because of his fourth-round walkover: "To be quite frank, I have no idea at this stage of my career what serves me and what doesn't.

    "I had a walkover in the last round and today should have been beaten. Two sets down and I get the win.

    "I am going to double my prayers tonight, that's for sure. Gratitude to God to giving me this opportunity once again. I am going to do my best in a couple of days to use it."

  17. Postpublished at 07:07 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Both players had medical timeouts following the conclusion of the second set.

    Novak Djokovic looked in some discomfort as he received treatment for blisters on his right foot.

    But it was ultimately Lorenzo Musetti's problem with his upper right leg that ended his Australian Open hopes.

    Novak Djokovic treated for blistersImage source, Getty Images
  18. 'I am extremely lucky'published at 07:04 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    More from Novak Djokovic in his on-court interview, discussing the troubles he had against Lorenzo Musetti: "The strategy worked well for the first couple of games but then it changed. Completely. I had four winners in the first two games and no unforced errors. Then the rest of the match I had another four winners and probably 40 errors.

    "That's what Lorenzo does to you, he makes you play. When you think the point is finished, it's not. When you attack him, you don't know what to expect. Whether it's going to be a passing shot, cross-court, or short slice or full flat in the body, or just a looping ball to my weakest shot which is overhead. I think we saw that again today.

    "What can I say? I tried my best. I can't complain."

    On his medical timeout, he adds: "Yes, a blister here and there but nothing major. I wasn't feeling the ball today and that was due to his quality and variety in the game.

    "I am just extremely lucky to get through this one today."

  19. Unwanted historypublished at 07:00 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Lorenzo Musetti is the first player in the Open era to retire in a Grand Slam quarter-final or onwards after winning the first two sets.

    Lorenzo MusettiImage source, Getty Images
  20. 'I was on my way home'published at 06:58 GMT 28 January

    Djokovic 4-6 3-6 3-1 ret. Musetti

    Novak Djokovic, speaking after Lorenzo Musetti retired injured from their quarter-final when leading by two sets to love, said: "I don't know what to say except that I feel really sorry for him.

    "He was by far the better player, I was on my way home. I don't know what to say.

    "These kind of things happen in this sport and it happened to me a few times but being in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up and being in full control. So unfortunate.

    "I don't know what else I can say. I really wish him a speedy recovery.

    "He should have been a winner today, there's no doubt."