Epic victory for Novak Djokovic despite torn muscle | Will he survive the fourth round?

Top seeded Novak Djokovic is through to the Australian Open last 16 for the fourteenth time, but his injury trailing from the last match is becoming a matter of serious concern.

As of now Novak Djokovic remains on course for the ninth Melbourne crown. His fans are hoping an praying that he miraculously recovers from the torn muscle he sustained while playing against Taylor Fritz on Friday.

Novak Djokovic was a real warrior on Friday and eventually defeated the American Taylor Fritz but now the question remains that will he be able to compete against Milos Raonic on Sunday.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic stumbles during his third round match against United States’ Talyor Fritz at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021.(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Novak Djokovic overpowered Taylor 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 in almost three and a half hours, overcoming both the foe and an injury to avert an upset on Rod Laver Arena.

Novak Djokovic didn’t go through with his training routine on Saturday, and we will have to wait until Sunday night to see if he would recuperate enough to face Raonic.

Novak Djokovic mentioned in his post-match court interview that this was one of the most special wins in his career, regardless of the round and the opponent. He would remember it forever because on one hand he had a formidable opponent in Taylor Fritz and on the other hand he was enduring the excruciating pain of a torn muscle. From the videos it appears that he has a tear in the abdominal region and that is such a vulnerable area because every forehand and backhand exerts and stretches that part.

Novak Djokovic knows it is a torn muscle and is not sure if he can recover in less than two days. He is however very proud of this achievement on Friday under the circumstances.

Novak Djokovic has demonstrated to the world why he’s been at the top of the men’s game for so many years. Battling through the real pain, he broke Taylor Fritz twice in the fifth set to seal victory. His response at the end said it all, treating the win as if it was his most memorable match ever.

Canadian top seed Milos Raonic will always be a difficult player to face no matter the circumstances. His serve is one of the finest the game has ever seen, and he has an outstanding forehand to back it up. His return game has improved significantly over the years and his net performance is dangerous. The Australian Open is also a contest where he has done well in the past, reaching the semifinals in 2016 where he took Andy Murray to 5 sets.

While Novak Djokovic has handled Milos Raonic well in the past, this won’t be an easy 4th-round match keeping in mind the torn muscle.