• Australian Open, Day 11

Awesome Djokovic topples Federer

Novak Djokovic had all the answers against Roger Federer © PA Photos

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The No. 2 seed followed the No. 1 seed out of the Australian Open as Roger Federer was beaten 7-6(3) 7-5 6-4 by Novak Djokovic in their semi-final.

Just 24 hours after Rafael Nadal was toppled by David Ferrer, Federer was outfought and outthought by a player who beat the Swiss great at the same stage of last year's US Open.

Djokovic has rebuilt his game after a sticky patch towards the end of 2009 and he is reaping the benefits as he hit cleanly on both wings and countered everything Federer threw at him.

Federer came out on the front foot, standing inside the baseline on the Djokovic serve, and he worked a break point in the opening game. Djokovic did not help his cause by serving two double faults, but he threw down a marker by holding serve thanks to some power hitting on his forehand wing.

The first set saw just one break point, in the opening game, as both players dominated behind their own serves and the set went to a breaker. Djokovic secured the first minibreak when taking advantage of a Federer backhand flying high in the air off the top of the net for an easy put-away. The slice of luck enabled Djokovic to press home his advantage and he edged a tight first set when Federer threw a backhand into the net.

Roger Federer's backhand is a thing of beauty, but it let him down against Djokovic © Getty Images

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If Djokovic needed a lift, taking the first set provided it and he worked an immediate break in the second when a wild Federer backhand handed the Serb the opening.

Federer hit back immediately, changing tactics by dropping deeper behind the baseline and hitting more topspin. For a time it worked as he dominated Djokovic to take a 4-2 lead. Federer saved a break point at 4-2 with a sublime lob volley and it appeared the 16-time slam winner had rode out the storm, but he dropped serve when serving for the second set. The momentum gathered behind Djokovic once again and at 5-5 he worked three break points. He did not need to force the issue as Federer sent a backhand slice into the bottom of the net and he then produced a brilliant winner of his own to open up a two-set lead.

Federer made one last stand when working three break points in the opening game of the third set, but on each occasion Djokovic found an answer and in the next game he secured a break, again thanks to the Federer backhand breaking down with a wild shot over the baseline.

The Swiss master attempted to change tactics by chipping and charging on the Djokovic serve and he broke back in the eighth game. But it proved to be a false dawn as four unforced errors from the Federer racket handed the Serb an immediate break back and he held his nerve, despite squandering two match points, to book his place in the final.

Djokovic has one grand slam to his name, the Australian Open of 2008, and he beat Federer in the semi-finals of that year as well.

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