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MELBOURNE: Serbian young gun Novak Djokovic ended defending champion
Roger Federer’s record run of 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals to
power into the Australian Open decider on Friday.
Third-seeded Djokovic confirmed his status as
Federer’s heir apparent with a tense 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win in
two hours 28 minutes and will face unseeded French sensation Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga in Sunday’s final.
It will be the 20-year-old Serb’s second
consecutive Grand Slam final after losing to Federer in last
year’s US Open final.
For the Swiss great, it was his first loss at a
Grand Slam since going down to world number two Rafael Nadal in the
semifinals of the 2005 French Open and ended his 19-match unbeaten
run at the Australian Open.
“It’s amazing, an indescribable feeling to
beat the number one player of the world, probably one of the best
players this sport has ever had, in straight sets,” Djokovic said.
“I’m very, very proud of myself.”
“It’s very difficult to play against a
player who is so dominant on any surface and he’s been so
successful for the past couple of years.”
“I’m just so amazed at how well I coped with
the pressure, in the most important moments I played my best
tennis.”
Three-time winner Federer, the top seed, also
lost the second of his five Australian Open semifinals on hardcourt
after falling to Marat Safin 9-7 in the fifth set of the final in
2005.
Defeat ended his bid for now of improving on his
Grand Slam titles, remaining two behind Pete Sampras’ record of
14.
Djokovic has advanced to the final without
dropping a set in his six matches and stretched his winning streak
on hardcourt to 10 matches.
It was the 20-year-old Serb’s second win over
the Swiss in seven matches and his first at a Grand Slam.
Last year, Djokovic reached the semifinals at
the French Open and Wimbledon and finished runner-up to Federer at
the US Open where he squandered seven set points in the first two
sets on the way to a straight sets loss in the final.
-- AFP
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