One last fight confronts an injured Djokovic on the chase: Him v Time

Record books often tell innocent lies. The one concerning Jan 24 at the Australian Open will state that the No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev defeated the No. 7 seed Novak Djokovic in their semi-final but it is an incomplete truth. The true victor on this surprising sunshine afternoon was time.

- Rohit Brijnath

It felled Rafael Nadal, it tripped Roger Federer and now it's slowly coming for the Serb. He has defied logic and reset records but the years are heartless, they gang up and bully and eventually they can't be beaten.

To gasps and then unkind boos, Djokovic put a forehand volley in the net in the semi-final to lose the first set 6-7 (5-7) and then retired from the Open. A tear in the left thigh had been medicated, strapped and rested (he didn't hit a ball for two days) but, he said, "towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much to handle."

An old athlete is fraying at his great edges and it is never pretty to watch. Once, in another Djokovic lifetime, he quit matches regularly due to multiple ailments, but he has long since emerged as a man built of steel, wire and will. But in time, most things rust.

It was unlikely a dramatic, divisive character would leave the Open quietly, but the boos were a disgraceful farewell soundtrack. The crowd deserved to be chastised and Zverev brilliantly stepped forward. "Please guys, don't boo when a player is injured," said the German. "Novak Djokovic is someone who has given this sport for the past 20 years absolutely everything of his life... So please show some respect."