Number three seed Federer was unable to cope with the world number one in the first two sets, which were wrapped up in under an hour. Nadal became the first Spanish tennis player to win the Australian Open and the first male player to hold three grand slam titles on three different surfaces at the same time after winning the Roland Garros and Wimbledon Championships the previous year.
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“I played unbelievably in the first two sets but I needed to because Roger has been playing unbelievably and I knew he would be aggressive”.
“So that’s why I came out with I think a great deal of self-belief and confidence and intensity, concentration”.
For the first two sets, 17-times major champion Federer looked as powerless as Agnieszka Radwanska had earlier on the same court when the Pole was taken apart 6-0 6-4 by the reigning women’s champion Serena Williams.
“This is going to be a big challenge for both of us. I’m expecting a great fight in two days”.
While Federer hasn’t won a major in almost four years, Djokovic has won three of the past four – including two against Federer in the final – and is heading to his fifth consecutive major final.
Williams finished with eight aces for the match – after none in the first set – and has dropped only 26 games in six rounds in a dominating run that included a 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 5 Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals, a rematch of the 2015 final.
In 2007 he pummeled Andy Roddick at a time when the American probably thought he could finally get the better of the Swiss at a major.
“I was behind most of the head-to-heads against most players throughout my career”.
In Federer’s following service game, the Serb broke to love and then a break to 15 in the fifth game all but sealed a two-set lead.
“I don’t think anyone can really play on that kind of level at all”. Kerber broke Konta’s serve in the 11th game, and held in the next to take the set in 49 minutes.
The first set was over within 22 minutes.
Djokovic, however, kept up the pressure and it ultimately told on Federer in the eighth game of the fourth set.
“You’ve got to try and stop the bleeding at some point”, said Federer. After winning the next point, Federer would pull off the point of the tournament, chasing down a lob before scampering to return a Djokovic smash.
“My rhythm, my timing, all that, was a bit off in the beginning”, Federer told reporters.
“I wish I could have one more chance to play another match here this week, but I don’t, so of course I’m disappointed maybe for parts of my fans and also for myself”. I spend a lot of hours on the practice courts for exactly moments like these where you feel like you’re appreciated, you’re being pushed forward – they want to see you win.
Djokovic strung together nine straight points to take a grip on the set and wrapped it up off an overhit Nishikori forehand on set point.
Six years Djokovic’s senior, Federer simply may not have the dynamism to oust his rival over five sets – a theory he disagrees with.
Radwanska made the second set more of a contest but she had neither the power nor the skill to prevent the world number one marching on to her 26th grand slam final.
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They may be locking horns for a 45 time but a showdown between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will never be considered a normal match, according to the latter’s coach Boris Becker.
