PHOTO: AFP

Novak Djokovic’s march towards history took a fortunate turn on Wednesday as he escaped his Australian Open quarterfinal after Lorenzo Musetti retired injured while holding a commanding lead. The Italian fifth seed had outplayed the 38-year-old, racing ahead 6-4, 6-3 but trailing 3-1 in the third set on Rod Laver Arena before a leg injury forced him to quit. Djokovic openly admitted he was lucky to survive, conceding he was “on his way home” before the twist of fate intervened. But the Serb now faces an even sterner test in the semifinals against another Italian, reigning champion Jannik Sinner, who swept aside Ben Shelton and looms as the favourite in a daunting showdown. Despite holding a 6-4 win-loss record over Djokovic, including victories in their last five encounters, Sinner downplayed the favourite tag, saying Djokovic is an “inspiration” and that he hopes to “learn something” from him.