Australian Open Semifinal Predictions Including Djokovic vs Paul

The men’s semifinal matches at the Australian Open are set. Novak Djokovic will take on rising American Tommy Paul, while in-form Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov will battle it out for a spot in the final. Is Djokovic unbeatable? Will either Khachanov or Tsitsipas falter? Our writers share their thoughts on both matches. Predicting these matches are Jim Smith, Damian Kust, Josh Hall, Nurein Ahmed, and Jack Edward. Who do you think will win?

Australian Open Semifinal Predictions

Karen Khachanov vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Jim:
Khachanov has not attracted much attention this tournament, but he has played some excellent tennis to reach his second consecutive Grand Slam final. Don’t underestimate the Russian here. When he is the hitting ball with confidence, he is a very hard player to live with. That said, this is not a matchup that he has enjoyed.

Tsitsipas has won all five of their previous meetings, dropping only two sets in the process. The Greek has also looked very sharp so far in Melbourne, serving well and utilising his forehand to excellent effect. The backhand remains a concern, particularly his return, and Khachanov will likely seek to target that wing. But Tsitsipas should have just about enough to reach his second Major final.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 5

Damian:
Tsitsipas is not in the final yet, despite what many tend to think. Khachanov is a potential banana skin and he’s been extremely good in best-of-five play of late, losing to just Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, and Casper Ruud in his last 18 matches at Slams. He’s also been unable to step up against the very best opposition, though, and hasn’t beaten a Top 10 player since August 2019 (22 attempts!). He can come close here, but winning would probably require him to step out of his comfort zone, and he rarely does that these days.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 5

Nurein:
Stefanos Tsitsipas is touted as the man that could push Novak Djokovic to his limits if they square off in the final. But we shouldn’t get carried away just yet as the Greek still faces a potentially dangerous semifinal against Karen Khachanov. The Russian has an awful record against the Greek superstar. He is still chasing that elusive first win in the series.

Recent history suggests Khachanov is unlikely to experience any joy on Friday. However, if he can scour for solutions, as he has done in wins over Kubler and Frances Tiafoe, he may give Tsitsipas a game. Khachanov has to attack the Tsitsipas backhand at all costs. That’s where he can extract the errors and keep most of the rallies at neutral whenever he feels like Tsitsipas is gaining an upper hand. I think the pressure might just get to Tsitsipas here and Khachanov could go against the script.
Prediction: Khachanov in 5

Josh:Tsitispas has breezed into a fourth semifinal at the Australian Open. He will get a stern test from Khachanov; the Russian has made back-to-back Grand Slam semifinals. I cannot picture many breaks of serves during this contest. Khachanov will try to target the backhand of the Tsitsipas, and this match will be dependent on how well the Greek plays off that wing. Ideally both men will not want a long match with Djokovic probably awaiting in the final; however, a short one is hard to see.