Australian Open lookahead: Djokovic meets Tsitsipas in final

Updated Jan. 28, 2023 9:48 a.m. ET

Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — LOOKAHEAD TO SUNDAY

There will be a lot on the line for both players when Novak Djokovic meets Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open men’s final. Djokovic is trying to win a record-extending 10th title at Melbourne Park and a 22nd Grand Slam trophy overall to pull even with Rafael Nadal for the men’s mark. It is his 33rd major final. Tsitsipas seeks his first Grand Slam title. And the winner will move up to No. 1 in the ATP rankings. Djokovic, a 35-year-old from Serbia, takes a 27-match Australian Open winning streak into the final, an unbeaten run that was put on pause a year ago when he was deported from the country because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. Tsitsipas, a 24-year-old from Greece, will be appearing in his second major final after losing to Djokovic in the 2021 French Open title match. Djokovic leads their head-to-head series 10-2, including nine consecutive victories. In the women's doubles final, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova meet Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara.

SATURDAY'S KEY RESULTS

Women's Singles Final: No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka beat No. 22 Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Men's Doubles Final: Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler beat Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Junior Girls Singles Final: No. 9 Alina Korneeva beat No. 7 Mirra Andreeva 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-5.

Junior Boys Singles Final: No. 3 Alexander Blockx beat Learner Tien 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (9).

Junior Girls Doubles Final: Renata Jamrichova and Federica Urgesi beat Hayu Kinoshita and Sara Saito 7-6 (5), 1-6, 10-7.

Junior Boys Doubles Final: Learner Tien and Cooper Williams beat Alexander Blockx and Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-4.

Women's Singles Wheelchair Final: No. 1 Diede de Groot beat No. 2 Yui Kamiji 0-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Quad Singles Wheelchair Final: No. 2 Sam Schroder beat No. 1 Niels Vink 6-2, 7-5.

Men's Singles Wheelchair Final: No. 1 Alfie Hewett beat No. 3 Tokito Oda 6-3, 6-1.

SUNDAY'S FORECAST

Cloudy with a high of 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius).

STAT OF THE DAY

51, 28 — Winners, unforced errors by Sabalenka in her victory in the women's singles final.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I always had this weird feeling when people would come to me and ask for a signature. I would be like, ‘Why are you asking for (my) signature? I’m nobody. I’m a player. I don’t have a Grand Slam.’” — Sabalenka, discussing how she now respects herself as a tennis player more.

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