January 25, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic secured his spot in the semi-finals of the Australian Open with a commanding straight-sets victory over fifth seed, Andrey Rublev.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion was in top form as he defeated the Russian 6-1 6-2 6-4 in just two hours and three minutes. Djokovic’s performance was particularly impressive as he showed no signs of struggle with the injury issues that had plagued him earlier in the tournament. He dominated on serve and relentlessly pressured Rublev’s service games, landing 14 aces and 32 winners.
In the first set, Djokovic quickly took control of the match by breaking Rublev’s serve in the second game. He continued to pressure the Russian and eventually sealed the set with a 6-1 win in 39 minutes.
The second set saw both players hold their first two service games, but Rublev’s resistance began to wane as Djokovic broke his serve again, this time with the help of some fierce returning and an unforced error from the Russian. Djokovic carried this momentum into the following game and broke Rublev’s serve again, eventually serving out the set with a 6-2 win.
The third set saw Rublev struggle to keep pace with Djokovic, as he was immediately broken in the opening game. Despite saving multiple breakpoints, he was unable to find the break he needed to get back into the match. Djokovic eventually served out the match in style, landing an ace on his way to a love hold, securing a 6-4 win in the final set. Djokovic now moves on to face American Tommy Paul, in the semi-finals.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
