ROGER FEDERER AND NOVAK DJOKOVIC BOTH CRUISE INTO AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS 2016 SEMIFINAL SHOWDOWN BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 26th January 2016

ROGER FEDERER AND NOVAK DJOKOVIC BOTH CRUISE INTO AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS 2016 SEMIFINAL SHOWDOWN BY RICKY DIMON

epa05127019 General view of Rod Laver Arena as Novak Djokovic (top) of Serbia plays Kei Nishikori of Japan in a quarter final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Australia, 26 January 2016. EPA/JOE CASTRO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

It will be Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open after they dominated their respective matches on Tuesday. Djokovic bounced back from a sub-par performance against Gilles Simon to crush Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. That was preceded by Federer’s day-session victory over Tomas Berdych via a 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-4 scoreline.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a shot against Kei Nishikori of Japan during their quarter final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Australia, 26 January 2016. EPA/LUKAS COCH

Djokovic sprayed a shocking 100 unforced errors in a five-set win over Simon on Sunday. But the world No. 1 decreased his mistake count to 27 against Nishikori, albeit in two fewer sets. He made exactly half as many errors as Nishikori’s 54.

“That was the goal, to decrease the unforced errors ratio,” Djokovic explained. I knew that I [was] going to play against an opponent that plays very fast, faster than Simon (and) makes also more unforced errors. I was solid. I was determined, focused. In important points and moments I managed to stay composed and make him play an extra shot. Overall it was a very solid performance.”

Nishikori did not break serve throughout the first two sets, squandering five chances in the second. The underdog twice went up a break in the third but could not consolidate his brief advantages. Djokovic got right back on track to eventually get the job done in two hours and seven minutes.

Federer’s one difficult set against Berdych was the first. Not unlike Djokovic in the third, Federer trailed by break at 2-1 but immediately righted the ship for 2-2. The 34-year-old Swiss later finished it in his favor in a tiebreaker.

Roger Federer of Switzerland in action against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, during their quarter finals round at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 26 January 2016. EPA/LYNN BO BO

“I think the first set was tough,” Federer reflected. “It was the one that took the longest, had the most importance of all the sets, in my opinion. It was definitely key to the rest of the match because I think it maybe might’ve taken some energy out of Tomas. Who knows? If not physical, also mental. It’s always tough to lose the first set in best of five in a ‘breaker in my opinion.”

It certainly was for Berdych, as the Czech was nowhere close to as competitive in the second and third. Federer needed a total of just one hour and 17 minutes to take the final two frames, thus clinching victory in two hours and 16 minutes.

Thursday’s tilt will at least temporarily break a 22-22 tie in the head-to-head series between Djokovic and Federer.