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SPORTS Friday 31 January 2020
Djokovic adds to Slam streak vs. Federer at Australian Open

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)
— Novak Djokovic was
wondering, right along with
everyone else, what sort
of shape Roger Federer
would be in for their Austra-
lian Open semifinal.
At age 38, despite dealing
with a painful groin muscle
and coming off a draining
five-setter, Federer came
out just fine, it seemed,
and soon was up 4-1 and
love-40, holding a trio of
break chances as Djokovic
served.
Didn't last. Federer couldn't
sustain that level. Neither his
body nor Djokovic would
let him.
Casting aside a bit of a
poor start during the rivals'
50th meeting, Djokovic
stretched his Grand Slam
winning streak against Fe-
derer to six in a row with a
7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-3 victory Thurs-
day night that earned the
defending champion a re-
cord eighth trip to the final Serbia's Novak Djokovic makes a backhand return to Switzerland's Roger Federer during their semifinal match at the Australian
at Melbourne Park. Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020.
"Today was horrible, to go Associated Press
through what I did. Nice
entrance. Nice sendoff. at 19. any of his more than 1,500 Soon it was nearly 5-1 in Fe- got checked out.
And in between, it's one to In the women's final Satur- career tour-level matches. derer's favor. Close doesn't When play resumed, Fe-
forget, because you know day, it'll be two-time major "I don't think I would have count, though. derer did not look as spry or
you have a 3% chance to champion Garbiñe Mu- gone on court if I had no Djokovic put up too much confident as in the first set.
win," Federer said, adding guruza of Spain against chance to win," Federer resistance, much like dur- He tried shortcuts such as
that he discussed before- 21-year-old Sofia Kenin of said. ing their epic Wimbledon pushing forward on returns
hand with his team how the United States. It's Kenin's "We saw I was still able to final last July, when he or less-than-ideal drop
bad things would need to debut in a Grand Slam title make a match out of it." thwarted two champion- shots. He couldn't gener-
get for him to stop playing. match. Indeed, Federer appeared ship points for Federer and ate so much as one break
"Once you can see it com- Clearly, for Djokovic vs. Fe- to be managing just fine at wound up winning in a fifth- chance.
ing, that it's not going to derer, everything hinged the outset. set tiebreaker. Djokovic took the set with a
work anymore, it's tough." on the first hour or so. And, oh, did this match set This time, Djokovic said, "I final-game break and the
Djokovic now leads their They played on a muggy, out well, in terms of the at- managed to dig my way last two points were spec-
head-to-head series 27-23, sweltering evening, with mosphere, in terms of the back." tacular.
including 11-6 at majors. the temperature in the high tension, in terms of the ten- After Djokovic got out of First, he followed up a sting-
Federer hasn't beaten him 90s (high 30s Celsius) and nis. that love-40 hole to hold, ing return by heading far to
at one of the sport's four no breeze to offer respite. The proceedings began he trailed 5-2 and love-30. his left for a sprinting, slid-
most important tourna- Almost from the moment with a jolt of a 14-point But Djokovic picked up 10 ing, stretching cross-court
ments since 2012. his wild quarterfinal ended game as a fugue of "Let's consecutive points to not backhand passing shot; he
"I just want to say, respect Tuesday after he'd saved go, Roger!" and "No- only hold there but also probably shouldn't even
to Roger for coming out seven match points and le! No-le!" provided the break at love in the follow- have put his racket on the
tonight. He was obviously eked past Tennys Sand- soundtrack, prompting ing game as Federer, one ball, let alone managed to
hurt," Djokovic said. "Wasn't gren in five sets, specula- chair umpire Nico Helw- of the most effective serv- win the point.
at his best." tion swirled about how well erth to passively aggres- ers ever, served for the set. Then he reacted to a short
The No. 2-seeded Djokovic Federer would recover. sively admonish spectators: At love! Imagine that. shot by Federer by running
will try to collect a record- Might the muscle issue "Please. Thank you." In the eventual tiebreaker, all-out to flip a cross-court
extending eighth Austra- force him to pull out of the There was an exchange of Djokovic did what Djokovic forehand pass that made it
lian Open title on Sunday tournament? Why didn't he 17 strokes. Another of 15. does: No mistakes and four two sets to none. Djokovic
against No. 5 Dominic practice Wednesday? There were two break pure winners, including a threw an uppercut and
Thiem or No. 7 Alexander As it happens, Federer points for Djokovic, nullified down-the-line backhand bellowed, "Come on!"
Zverev. showed up, of course. And with the help of formidable return to end it. They played for another
Djokovic also can claim a gave what he could until serves. At the break, Federer took half-hour or so but all that
17th major trophy overall to the end. Federer took the game a medical timeout and was left to decide was the
move closer to Federer's re- He's never handed an op- with three aces, three oth- went off court with a train- score, not who would win.
cord of 20. ponent a walkover across er clean winners and then er, like he did against Sand- "He was better on the day
Rafael Nadal, beaten by more than 400 Grand Slam broke to go up 2-0 on his gren. Djokovic stayed on today," Federer said, "no
Thiem in the quarterfinals, is matches, never retired from way to 4-1. the sideline while he, too, question."q