THE men’s semifinals are set at this year’s Australian Open, as three of the biggest stars in the game have made the penultimate round along with a party crasher in the form of a big-serving Canadian.
For a 45th time Djokovic and Federer meet, this one with an Australian Open final berth on the line. Djokovic, the world No. 1 and defending champion, is the odds-on favorite, having won 36 of his last 37 matches and three out of four Grand Slam titles in 2015.
Federer was the last to beat him, on an indoor hard court in London last November. This match will perhaps be played indoors, as well, as the forecast calls for rain, but while the still air would help Federer’s big serve, slower conditions vs. an outdoor atmosphere helps the ball-retrieving ability of the Serbian.
While Federer is the last to beat Djokovic, he hasn’t done so in a five-set meeting since Wimbledon 2012, when they last met in a major semifinal. But Djokovic owns their last three Slam meetings, at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015 and the U.S. Open in 2015. It’s the blockbuster match that tennis fans have been waiting for since the draw was released two weeks ago. Will it live up to its billing?
Raonic makes his second appearance in a Grand Slam final (Wimbledon 2014), and first in Australia, becoming the first Canadian man to go this far in the history of the tournament. But Murray will try to stop him, the four-time runner-up here hoping to make the final and finally come across the finish line in a Slam where he has been beaten on the final lap time and time again.
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