World champion Novak Djokovic faced rising Russian Aslan Karatsev in the semi-finals of the Australian Open tennis tournament.
The defending champion, Djokovic, put an end to Karatsev's impressive run after qualifying from the qualifiers. The Serbian star advanced to the Australian Open final for the ninth time, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 against Karatsev on Thursday. Djokovic was broken twice by the world number 114, but he avoided any Russian surprises under the lights of Rod Laver Arena.
He clinched the third set with a powerful serve amid enthusiastic cheers from Serbian fans in the stands.
With this victory, Djokovic secured his 20th consecutive win in Australia and is set to face the winner of Medvedev and Tsitsipas in the final.
In a press conference following his advancement to the final, the world number one Djokovic stated: "Besides Medvedev's consecutive victories, he has managed to easily defeat the best in the world." He added, "He did that against me at the last ATP Finals in London."
Djokovic, who aims to win the tournament for the third consecutive year, expressed his happiness after recovering in a timely manner, stating, "I was surprised to feel no pain at all, despite having gone through such a situation in the past."
In conclusion, Djokovic noted, "The fact that I haven't lost any match in the semi-finals or finals here helps me be more confident. This helps me, but I don’t know if it will affect my opponents."
