Novak Djokovic to face Roger Federer on Thursday at the Australian Open
Thursday 28 January 2016 06:26, UK
World No 1 Novak Djokovic and No 3 Roger Federer will be the pick of the semi-final action in Melbourne on Thursday.
It will be a rematch of last year's US Open and Wimbledon finals, both of which Djokovic won.
"We are, you know, big rivals," said Djokovic, the defending champion. "We've played so many times against each other. There's a lot of tension. There's a lot at stake. I'm expecting a great fight."
It will be the 15th time Djokovic and Federer meet in a Grand Slam, extending their own record for the most match-ups at the majors in the Open era.
It will be the 45th meeting overall between the two players who are tied at 22 wins each, and we will live blog both the expected epic between the great rivals and Johanna Konta's earlier semi-final against Angelique Kerber from around 4am on Thursday morning - follow on the website and the app.
For Djokovic, it offers a chance to re-assert his dominance after finishing the best season of his career. He finished 2015 at No 1 for the fourth time in five years, after winning at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open as well as reaching the final at the French Open.
He has won 10 Grand Slam titles and is gaining on Federer's record of 17.
For Federer, it offers a chance to prove that his best is not entirely behind him. He hasn't won a major since Wimbledon 2012, where he beat Djokovic in the semi-finals.
At 34, Federer is playing remarkable tennis. But at 28, Djokovic is still in his prime with many years to go. Federer was asked how meaningful it would be to win another major in the Djokovic era.
"It would mean a lot to me, no doubt about it," he said. "It's part of the reason why I guess I'm still playing."
Both Djokovic and Federer are bidding to become the first man in the Open era to reach six Australian Open finals - Djokovic winning five and Federer four.
Elsewhere, British No 1 Konta will play against Kerber in the second women's singles semi-final of the day, after favourite Serena Williams plays Agnieszka Radwanska.
For Konta, 24, it is a first trip to a Grand Slam semi-final, while Kerber, 28, has managed it twice before - although never at the Australian Open.
Williams and Radwanska last met in a Grand Slam at the Wimbledon final in 2012, when Williams won in three sets. Radwanska was ranked in the 30s back then, and she's now No 4 in the world.
Williams, meanwhile, has continued to be a dominant No. 1. "It will be a good match. She's been playing really well towards the end of the year, and already this year she's been very consistent," Williams said of Radwanska, who won a warm-up event in Shenzhen.
"She presents a completely different game, an extremely exciting game. So I think it will be a long match and it will be a good match to see where I am."
And there is more British interest in the men's doubles as Jamie Murray and partner Bruno Soares bid to make the final against French pairing Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Pouille.
