Novak Djokovic got the better of Roger Federer on Thursday, beating him 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets to advance to the Australian Open final.
Federer, 38, has been dealing with a sore groin muscle and had to pour a lot of energy into a punishing five-set quarterfinal match two days ago, but at first he seemed like his old self. He roared out of the gate with three aces in five minutes and took a 5-2 lead in the first set. He was in total control.
Then things started to turn. Djokovic came alive and began battling back, winning the next three games to tie the score at 5-5.