MELBOURNE (Australia): Novak Djokovic beat an injured Roger Federer in straight sets to reach his eighth Australian Open final on Thursday.
Djokovic twice fought back from a break down in the first set and after dominating the tie-breaker he never looked back, winning 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3 as Federer, who needed a medical time-out, faded.
“Respect to Roger for coming out tonight,” said Djokovic , who is closing on his 17th Major title. “He was obviously hurt. He wasn’t even close to his best in terms of movement.”
Djokovic, who has never lost a Melbourne semifinal or final, will now play the winner of Friday’s clash between Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev.
Federer was hampered by a groin injury in his five-set quarter-final with Tennys Sandgren, and rumours swirled that he might pull out of the semi-final.
The 38-year-old Swiss, a six-time champion at Melbourne Park, was cleared by a scan but he took the court rating his chances at only “three percent” against Djokovic.
“I was playing with nothing to lose,” Federer said, adding: “Today was horrible, to go through what I did.
“Nice entrance, nice send-off, and in between is one to forget because you know you have a three percent chance to win.”
Kenin stuns Barty to meet Muguruza in women’s final
In the women’s semis, Sofia Kenin of the USA stunned top seed Ashleigh Barty to set up a final date with Garbine Muguruza, who defeated Simona Halep 7-6 (10/8), 7-5.
Halep later said the fierce heat and sun took a toll on her after she let slip opportunities to put away the unseeded Muguruza.
The Romanian fourth seed had not dropped a set in reaching the last four, but she lost her cool.
Muguruza, like Halep a two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, will meet in the final in Melbourne, where temperatures soared close to 40 degrees Celsius.
“It was very, very hot today and I felt it. Killed me after the first set, in the end of the first set,” said Halep.
