Melbourne, Australia • Like a defending champion before him, Novak Djokovic moved into the Australian Open final with a relatively untroubled 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over four-time winner Roger Federer.
The signs were ominous from the beginning for 17-time Grand Slam champion and No. 3-ranked Federer. Djokovic, now into his sixth Australian final — he's won all five previous — held his first service game at love and broke Federer in the second. After four minutes, Federer was two games down.
The first set was over within 22 minutes. Spectators— including a woman with a sign reading: "Just Married But Willing to Exchange for Federer" — were firmly behind him, applauding Djokovic's service faults and giving Federer a standing ovation when he broke to go ahead 4-2 in the third set.
But the end came quickly in the fourth. Djokovic broke Federer in the eighth game to go up 5-3 — not even a stunning down-the-line shot after he earlier chased down a lob on the same point could save the Swiss star.
Djokovic held three match points in the next game and he clinched it in 2 hours, 19 minutes when Federer netted a backhand. Djokovic, who won three Grand Slam titles last year, took a 23-22 edge in his 45 meetings with Federer.
"Definitely I've played unbelievable the first two sets but that's what is necessary against Roger," Djokovic said. "He's been playing on a very high level at this tournament and he dropped only one set. I came up with the right intensity, great concentration."
Federer said he wasn't surprised by the early blitz.
"I've seen Novak play this well before," he said. "It's tough when it's from the start because obviously you got to try to stop the bleeding at some point. He can get one or two sets all of a sudden ... and it's tough to get back into it."
In Sunday's final, Djokovic will face the winner of Friday's semifinal between No. 2-ranked Andy Murray and Milos Raonic.
"This has been the first Grand Slam that I won back in 2008," Djokovic said. "Each time I come back ... and step on Rod Laver Arena I have this beautiful memory."
Hours earlier on Rod Laver Arena, Serena Williams moved to within one win of another Grand Slam milestone, beating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4 in a semifinal that was almost a non-contest between the players who'll be Nos. 1 and 3 in the next women's rankings.
If Williams wins Saturday's final against No. 7-seeded Angelique Kerber, she'll equal Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slam singles title, a record in the Open era, and the second-most in history behind Margaret Court's 24.
Williams is the overwhelming favorite in her final against Kerber, and not just based on recent form. She continued her perfect streak in Australian Open semifinals, and she has won all six finals she's contested at Melbourne Park. Now she's looking for seven wins in seven finals on the same court.
"I definitely block it out," Williams replied to a question about equaling Graf's mark. "I was one off last year, too! If I don't win on Saturday, I'll still be one off."
Kerber knows she faces a daunting task trying to beat Williams. So she's reaching out to someone who might be able to help in Graf, who was the last German to win the Australian Open in 1994.
Asked after she beat Johanna Konta in the semifinals if she would seek out Graf's advice, Kerber laughed and said, "Steffi, write me please."
Kerber actually hit with Graf last year in Las Vegas where Graf lives with her husband, four-time Australian Open champion Andre Agassi. Kerber said Graf "is still in shape and she is hitting very hard and moving still like she was moving a few years ago."
She promised to do her best to prevent Williams from matching Graf's 22 Grand Slam titles.
