Djoko loses, Sabalenka wins at Brisbane International

Novak Djokovic returns to Reilly Opelka during quarter-final match in Brisbane yesterday. PIC/AFP

Former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic's Australian Open preparations suffered a blow on Friday as he was bundled out of the Brisbane International by towering American Reilly Opelka. The 2.11 metre (six feet 11 inches) Opelka served magnificently and returned just as well to stun the 24-time Grand Slam winner 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.

Djokovic had gone into the tournament insisting that at 37 he still had the game to trouble the younger players. But Opelka, 27, a former world number 17 who was out of the game for almost two years from 2022-24 following hip and wrist surgeries, dominated the Serb and wrapped up a comfortable win in an hour and 40 minutes.

Aryna Sabalenka

Opelka came back to the sport in July last year but showed his serve has lost none of its potency in his time away. He served 16 aces and only faced one break point throughout the match. "He's the greatest player ever," Opelka said of Djokovic. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka stepped up her Australian Open preparations as she overpowered Marie Bouzkova in straight sets to reach the semi-finals.

Sabalenka, who has won the last two Grand Slams in Melbourne, beat the Czech player 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 45mins. She now plays Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, who defeated Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 6-4, 7-6 (7/2). "Her movement is really great, she's trying to get to every ball and make you play an extra shot so that's really difficult," Sabalenka said of the 44th-ranked Bouzkova.

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