Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic outclassed Roger Federer in straight sets 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Australian Open 2020 on Thursday. The Serbian admitted to being focused on Federer’s injury at the start of the match, which resulted in the loss of his own game.
The World No.2 fought back from a slow start after he was 2-5, 0-30 down in the first set to pull off the set in the tiebreaker. The 32-year-old looked unstoppable after the first set as he found his range and wore down Federer’s offensive play.
“The first set could have gone the other way”: Novak Djokovic
The Serbian dropped high praise for Federer for coming out to play the match despite struggling with injury. Djokovic admitted that the Swiss maestro was not even close to his best but he respects him for trying his best.
“Respect to Roger for coming out tonight, he was obviously hurt. He wasn’t at his best, close to his best in terms of movement. Respect for coming out and trying his best all the way through,” he said in the post-match on-court interview.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion confessed of having the right attitude in the opening set. He was concentrating on how Federer is moving and what he is doing rather than executing his shots in the right direction. This resulted in a 4-1, 40-0 lead for Federer.
“The first set could have definitely gone the other way, I was pretty nervous. Not the right mindset from my side at the beginning of the match. I was looking more at his side of the net. I managed to dig out the first set, then I could swing through the ball a bit more,” Djokovic added.
Also Read: Novak Djokovic Reveals How He has Changed his Serve for the 2020 Season
Djokovic yet to lose an Australian Open finals
The 32-year-old will now meet the winner between Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem in the finals of the 2020 Australian Open on Sunday.
This will be Djokovic’s 8th appearance at the Australian Open finals. He is yet to lose a title match in Melbourne till date and is one win away from extending another streak. Djokovic has won all 7 finals he has played here. The victory will also mean a No.1 spot in the ATP rankings and will also narrow his gap against Nadal (19) and Federer (20).
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