The 10-time Grand Slam champion was in sensational form in the opening two sets, carving up Federer in their 15th Grand Slam encounter with his fabulous groundstrokes for the loss of only three games in just 54 breathless minutes.
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The world No. 1 stormed away to a two-set lead with a brilliant display of shotmaking on Rod Laver Arena, before Federer fought back to force the match to a fourth set.
The Serbian will be bidding to win his 11th Grand Slam championship and will face the victor of Friday’s semi-final between Andy Murray and Milos Raonic.
Djokovic, 28, coming off an astonishing 2015 which fell only one win short of a calendar-year Grand Slam, continues to put a space between himself and the rest, including the record 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer, 34.
Djokovic broke serve in the second and sixth game of the first set and the third and fifth game of the second set.
The match, the main attraction in Melbourne after the earlier match between Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska looked one-sided at the outset, with the way Djokovic mauled Federer in the first two sets as if Federer were an amateur. The crowd in Rod Laver Arena erupted when he somehow chased down a Djokovic drop shot to earn a break point against the Serb.
“Physically I’m feeling a lot better, mentally I needed that break after the Open”, Williams said, but “I didn’t think I would do this well this fast”.
Laver accounted for two of those in 1962 and 1969 – the latter of which marked the only time it has been achieved in the open era. I think he serves very accurate, which is important for a serve. She continued her flawless streak in Australian Open semifinals, and she has won all six finals she’s contested at Melbourne Park.
“Obviously I didn’t want to allow him to come back to the match and give him an opportunity maybe to take the match to the fifth”, Djokovic explained. Williams is now 25-4 all-time in Grand Slam semifinals. “That was what was necessary against Roger, he’s been playing a high level here”.
“I have self-confidence as well, you know”.
World number one Novak Djokovic is into the Australian Open final after defeating Roger Federer on Thursday.
Six-time champion Williams has never lost a semifinal or final at the Australian Open.
“Yeah, I remember that point”, Djokovic said. Konta was the first British woman since 1983 to reach the semifinals at a major tournament.
Djokovic, however, regained his composure to flick a backhand pass of his own, before drilling a return at Federer’s feet to clinch the break.
Federer, who is turning 35 years old in August, added in the interview that he’s not scared entering any match that involves any of the top players in the tour and said that while he is disappointed he’s still pleased with his “deep runs” in the majors tournaments.
“I think we’re both, all of us, with Rafa, Novak, me, Murray, you name it, Stan, we’re all very happy with our careers”.
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Federer hung on until the eight game of the fourth set, when Djokovic broke the Swiss for the last time with a forehand victor.
