MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Aslan Karatsev's fairytale run at the Australian Open may have ended in the semi-finals against Novak Djokovic on Thursday, but the Russian qualifier leaves Melbourne Park full of confidence, knowing he can compete against the best. "It gives me more experience, more confidence," Karatsev told reporters after his 6-3 6-4 6-2 defeat. "So I'll get this confidence and just keep playing, keep practising. During his campaign, Karatsev defeated a top-10 player in Diego Schwartzman and also outlasted the likes of Grigor Dimitrov and Felix Auger-Aliassime. "There is a huge level, I mean the difference is really big," the Russian said about his experience of playing against the eight-time Australian Open champion.

Source: The Star February 18, 2021 14:26 UTC