Novak Djokovic was involved in a tense exchange with chair umpire James Keothavong after being hit with a time violation during his Australian Open quarter-final against Lorenzo Musetti.
The 10-time champion was searching through his bag for a cap to shield himself from the sun, allowing the shot clock to tick down as Musetti waited to serve. The delay proved costly, as Djokovic was issued a warning while Musetti held a break advantage.
Earlier in the match, the world No. 4 had surrendered an early break and went on to lose the opening set. As he headed to his chair while trailing 4–5, Djokovic questioned the umpire over the decision, asking why he hadn’t been given a prior warning.
Clearly frustrated, Djokovic continued to voice his displeasure at the next changeover, directing his complaint at Keothavong and asking whether a “heads up” could have been given before the time violation was called.
“I was looking for my cap. You could’ve given me a heads up, as a gentleman and someone who’s been in sport for a couple decades. Mid first set, first time I go over, and you give me a warning.
“I’m not saying it’s against the rules, because I went over, but you could have given me a heads up, right? You could have told me, ‘Hey Novak, you’re over’.”
John McEnroe, who was commentating on the match for host broadcaster Channel 9, told viewers: “He’s just called a time violation on Djokovic. He’s coming out and returning, come on. Does he know he’s won this 10 times? All they do is call the score and call the time warnings.”
Musetti wrapped up the opening set 6–4 in just under an hour. Djokovic had started brightly, racing into a 2–0 lead, but the Italian soon found his rhythm and responded by winning four straight games to turn the set around.
The Serbian struggled with consistency, committing 18 unforced errors in the first set, while Musetti kept things tidy with just eight.
The second set began in chaotic fashion, featuring three consecutive breaks of serve, but it was the 23-year-old Musetti who emerged on top, securing both the set and an early break advantage.
