Novak Djokovic is through to his 10th Australian Open semi-final after a stunning straight-set victory over Andrey Rublev.
Djokovic needed just over two hours to dispatch the fifth seed 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, and the victory marked his 26th consecutive win at the tournament, equalling Andre Agassi’s record.
Despite the Russian playing some of his best tennis throughout the tournament, he struggled to find a rhythm against the Serb and the loss made him just the second male player in the Open Era to lose every one of his first seven Grand Slam quarter-final matches.
Djokovic appeared to be moving freely but also attempting to keep the rallies as short as possible to avoid aggravating a hamstring injury that has been plaguing him throughout the tournament.
When asked during his on-court interview how the win ranks against his 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win over Alex de Minaur in the fourth round, Djokovic decided that it was a close second.
‘’I would rank it as number two, it was close to the performance of two nights ago,’’ he said.
"I cannot be happier with my tennis honestly, I've been playing very solid from the back of the court and I really love playing in these conditions on this court. I've said it many times, I love playing here, definitely the most special court for me.’’
The 35-year-old revealed the lengths he had gone to to ensure his leg was up to the challenge.
‘’I've been connected to machines more than I have been connected to anyone else in the days off,’’ he explained.
‘’I have tried any biofeedback machine there is on this planet to get my leg ready, and it worked.
"I'm going to keep going. I miss tennis on the days off but I think it's important to be smart and wise with the body in these circumstances where it's more important to recover and get ready for the next challenge.’’
Djokovic will face the unseeded American Tommy Paul in the semi-finals on Friday and he believes that he has a ‘good chance’ to advance to the final if he maintains his current form.
‘’Obviously he [Paul] doesn't have much to lose, first time in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam,’’ Djokovic added.
"I've got to be ready for the match, not approach it any way differently than I have the last couple of matches.
"If I play this way, I think I have a good chance to go through.’’
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