Novak Djokovic made it into the semi-finals of the Australian Open after Kei Nishikori was forced to withdraw injured at 6-1 4-1 down.
Nishikori, seeded eighth in Melbourne, was evidently struggling from the start of the match and quickly slipped to 6-1 in the first set.
At 4-1 down in the second the Japanese star offered a handshake to Djokovic, who enjoyed a comfortable passage to the last four where he will face France’s Lucas Pouille.
“I wish Kei a speedy recovery and I’m sorry for everyone for not having a full match tonight,” Djokovic said on Eurosport.
“I’ve played a lot of matches this year. I’m in another semi-final and I’ll do everything to get ready for that one.”
“This was my first Grand Slam trophy back when I was 20 years old. That opened a lot of doors for me. I have great memories from this arena and the fans that have supported me over the years.”
Nishikori had played over 14 hours at the Australian Open – coming through an epic five-setter against Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarter-finals, and in his first-round and second-round matches too.
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