Former world No 1 claims Novak Djokovic has one big worry against Alexander Zverev

Novak Djokovic rolled back the years with a majestic performance to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open qurater-finals and now former world No 1 Jim Courier has claimed he is a strong favourite to reach the final.
Djokovic is set to face Alexander Zverev in the last four in Melbourne on Friday, with the Serbian holding an 8-4 winning record against his German rivals.
The big question mark hovering over Djokovic ahead of his next match surrounds his physical condition, as he admitted he is concerned about his hopes of being fully fit after appearing to tweak a hamstring in his match against Alcaraz.
“I have to assess the situation tomorrow when I wake up,” said Djokovic after his four-set quarter-final win.
“I will try to do as much as I possibly can with my recovery team, with my physio, today, tomorrow, the next few days. Probably skip training tomorrow. I’ll see if I’m going to train in two days or not.
“I’ll take it day by day. Now it’s really about recovery. I’m concerned. I am, to be honest, physically. But, if I manage somehow to be physically good enough, I think mentally, emotionally, I’m as motivated as I can be.
“I’m just pleased with the way I was able to play throughout the entire tournament, including tonight, against one of the best players, one of the two or three best players in the word in the last three, four years. It’s just a great win.”
Now Courier has given his verdict on what comes next for Djokovic, as he predicted the 10-time Australian Open champion has a huge advantage against Zverev if he is fully fit.
Citing Djokovic’s ability to change his tactics against a more predictable Zverev, Courier backed the 24-time Grand Slam king to find a way to win if he is at his best physically.
“A lot will depend on Novak’s health,” said Eurosport expert Courier.
“What’s impressive about Novak is his ability to adjust his game on the fly. He became hyper-aggressive with his return game (against Alcaraz), something we hadn’t seen much from him before.
“Novak is known for being a consistent returner, hitting the ball flat down the middle, but last night he shifted to a much more aggressive return, similar to Andre Agassi’s style. He was able to do that effectively against Carlos Alcaraz, which was amazing to witness.
“Djokovic’s experience is a massive advantage. Watching both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic on centre court, I noticed that Sinner’s feet are more active and quicker. It made me realise that Novak’s not as fast as he used to be. He still covers the court amazingly well, though, and his anticipation masks the fact that he’s lost some speed.
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“We don’t know the impact of his injury. If he’s fully fit, he’s the favourite, but if he’s not, it’ll be more complicated.
“Zverev can play great defence and is a strong server, so there are a lot of unknowns. That’s what makes it exciting – there are some big names left in the tournament and plenty of intriguing storylines to follow.”
Zverev is confident he is ready to take on Djokovic, as he suggests he has closed the gap on the game’s leading players.
“I think if you are in a semi-final of a Grand Slam, you have to expect a tough match. You’re not going to get to the semis of a grand slam by not deserving to be there and not playing great tennis,” said Zverev.
“If somebody’s there, that means they have played great tennis. And yes, more often than not, it happened to be Sinner and Alcaraz, a Djokovic, to get there because those are the best players in the world.
“So I’m going to prepare myself for a tough battle. I’m going to prepare myself for a very intense and high-level match. You know, I know I have the level.”
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