Novak Djokovic stops Roger Federer

The 28-year-old Serbian dispensed with the 17-time Slam winner 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. The win puts Djokovic on course to win for the sixth title in the Australian Open. Djokovic raced into a two-set lead in just 54 minutes as Federer struggled to cope with some sublime tennis before the Swiss fought back to take the third. 

However, the Serb responded by taking the fourth set 6-3 and will defend his title against either Andy Murray or Milos Raonic, who play in the second semifinals on Friday. 

In the fourth set, Federer and Djokovic held the serve till 3-3 and the Serb led 4-3 taking the seventh game. Then Djokovic got the vital breakthrough breaking Federer’s serve to take a 5-3 lead. He closed the match holding the serve again. 

There appeared no way back after Djokovic broke the third seed twice more and barely dropped a point on his own serve in storming to a two-set advantage inside an hour. 

Federer saved another break point in the fifth game of the third set before producing his best tennis of the night, including a crazy running crosscourt pass, to break Djokovic for 4-2 and drawing thunderous applause from the sellout crowd.  

But Federer couldn’t convert and paid the price as Djokovic, after benefiting from a fortuitous net-cord winner, broke the Swiss for a decisive 5-3 advantage before closing out his 34th win from his past 35 grand slam encounters. 

Women doubles: Martina Hingis/ Sania Mirza vs Andrea Hlavackova/Lucie Hradecka 

Semifinal: Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic