UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 | SUN 1 FEB 1PM AEDT | For the first time in his storied career, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will defend his championship in his home city of Sydney, in a rematch with Brazil\u2019s Diego Lopes. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.<\/a><\/p>\n For the second time in less than a year world No.5 Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire hurt after leading a superstar rival in the second week of a slam.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was the far better player … I don\u2019t know what to say,\u201d Djokovic said immediately after the match.<\/p>\n \u201cHe should\u2019ve been a winner today.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried my best, really. I just wasn\u2019t feeling the ball today the first couple of sets, but that\u2019s also due to his quality and the variety in his game.\u201d<\/p>\n Djokovic: “He was a far better player!” | 01:01<\/p>\n Djokovic dealt with a blister during his third-round win over Botic van de Zandschulp and, thanks to a withdrawal from Jakub Mensik, skipped the fourth round.<\/p>\n But those four days off his feet didn\u2019t allow the 10-time Australian Open champion to fully recover from the issue.<\/p>\n Novak Djokovic dealt with a bad blister in his Australian Open quarter-final.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n The world No.4 required a medical timeout to deal with multiple foot issues, including covering up the popped blister a few centimetres below his big toe on the bottom of his foot.<\/p>\n He also had his toe freshly wrapped up.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is very nasty \u2026 I can\u2019t imagine that it\u2019s not a factor,\u201d John McEnroe said on Nine.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, this guy relies on movement even at his age. And when you have something that\u2019s painful like that, it gets in your head and you know, he\u2019s been flat, he had the good start, but he\u2019s really tailed off.<\/p>\n \u201c(The doctor) is trying to save him.\u201d<\/p>\n WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO BELOW<\/p>\n Novak Djokovic and his popped blister.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Djokovic had not been eliminated before the semi-finals of the Australian Open since 2018, when he lost to Hyeon Chung.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
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