Australian Open 2020: Novak Djokovic not slowing down for applause as he chases history

Only a lukewarm applause trickled down the Rod Laver Arena as Novak Djokovic, eyes shining with intensity, celebrated his victory over Roger Federer. The vanquished, though, was given a rousing cheer as he disappeared into the bowels of the stadium. That’s the dichotomy of the world that the Serb dwells in. He may not be the most popular champion, but Djokovic may just end up being the most successful one. [caption id=“attachment_7980021” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Roger Federer in their semi-final at the Australian Open. AP Photo[/caption] The 32-year-old took another step in that direction on Thursday as he defeated an injured Federer 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 18 minutes in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. The win has brought him within striking distance of a record-extending eighth Australian Open title and a 17th Major. If he does win that, Djokovic will be two short of Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam tally of 19 and three away from Federer. “These two guys have definitely made a significant difference in my mind in understanding my own game and what it takes to really win against them,” said Djokovic, whose Grand Slam count began in Melbourne in 2008. “In the beginning, I remember when I first won my Grand Slam title here in 2008, after that it was three very tough years for me. Every time I get to a Grand Slam semi-finals or final, I would lose to one of these two guys. It took a lot of thinking and a lot of work to perfect the game and turn it against those two guys in the bigger stage.” Federer and Nadal may still split the popularity vote, but Djokovic has pursued perfection relentlessly. Last year, in the final in Melbourne, Djokovic dropped all of six games and made a total of nine unforced errors to brush aside the Spaniard. Despite the early troubles, it was another clean performance by Djokovic against Federer in the semis this time round. Granted, that the Swiss was far from his best. He had already pulled off two great escapes in less than a week, beating John Millman 10-8 in the match-tie-break and then fending off seven match points to defeat Tennys Sandgren in the quarter-finals two days ago. But Federer, the miracle worker, ran out of steam, and lives, against Djokovic. The 38-year-old came in to the clash, 50th between the two, suffering from a groin strain and having already spent 12 hours and 44 minutes on court during the tournament. Despite the troubles, it was a strong start from Federer, who survived break points in his opening service game and jumped into a 3-1 lead. The consummate Swiss, who knew he had to attack to stay in the match, then had three chances to break for a 5-1 lead. He not only squandered those, but threw in an anxious game while serving for the set at 5-3, starting it tellingly with a double fault. “It wasn’t the right mindset at the beginning, because I was watching him and how he was moving early on, rather than executing my own shots,” said Djokovic, the defending champion. “I managed to dig my way back and win the first set, which was obviously mentally important.” Federer’s chance to make a match out of it had disappeared, as an out-of-sorts Djokovic got his game together. His flawless display in the tie-breaker evoked memories of the dramatic, five-set Wimbledon final between the two last July. In the 2019 Wimbledon final, while Federer won more points and had more service breaks, Djokovic turned the tide by winning all the three tie-break sets. The Swiss made 11 unforced errors in those three breakers, while ice-in-veins Djokovic made zero. Djokovic maintained that tally on Thursday, suffocating Federer with his baseline precision. He went up set point after crafting a beautiful drop volley and finishing off the set with a stinging backhand return. There was no stopping the Serb once he pocketed the opening set. He made all of three unforced errors in the second set and four in the third, stomping out the Federer challenge with another clinical display. “Today was horrible to go through what I did,” a bemused Federer told the press. “Nice entrance, nice send-off, and in between is one to forget because you know you have a three percent chance to win. You know, got to go for it. You never know. But once you can see it coming, that it’s not going to work anymore, it’s tough.” The Swiss gave it a good go, serving 15 aces and hitting 46 winners past Djokovic, but couldn’t break an eight-year drought against the World No 2 at the Majors. Federer has not beaten the Serb at a Grand Slam since his semi-final victory at Wimbledon in 2012. Having fallen behind 23-27 in their head-to-head record, Federer has also lost all their four matches at the Australian Open. Meanwhile Djokovic, who said ‘patience’ was the biggest lesson he took from his scuffles against Federer and Nadal early in his career, is hurtling towards another major opportunity. Djokovic is 8-0 in the semi-finals and 7-0 in finals at the Australian Open and will start a big favourite on Sunday. With Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev playing out the second semi-final, the tournament is guaranteed of a first-time Melbourne finalist. The Serb has his eyes on the prize.