Serena Williams advances to Australian Open final 1:21

The reigning champion then cruised his way through the first set in just 22 minutes, before consolidating in the second to take a commanding 6-1, 6-2, lead after just under a hour.

The head-to-head between the pair now lies firmly in the balance at 22 wins each but Djokovic has the edge in recent match-ups, winning their last three meetings in grand slams.

Before the match, attention had focused on the first set, with Federer never having beaten Djokovic in a best-of-five match having dropped the opener.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovichits a return during hismen’s singles semi finals match against Switzerland’s Roger Federer on day eleven of the 2016 Australian Opentennis tournament in Melbourne on Thursday.

“I played an unbelievable first two sets but that is what is necessary against Roger as he has been playing at a very high level in this tournament”, Djokovic said afterwards.

‘So that’s why I came out with, I think, a great deal of self-belief and confidence and intensity, concentration.

In Sunday’s final, Djokovic will face the victor of Friday’s semifinal between No. 2-ranked Andy Murray and Milos Raonic. Of course I must play my best tennis to have a chance against her but actually I will try to give everything. “You can’t underestimate Kerber”, Williams said.

A few years ago, Djokovic might have been flustered by that moment as the crowd roared for Federer to get back into it.

For Federer it is another missed opportunity to add to his 17 Grand Slam titles and time is ticking away for the 34-year-old who is entering the latter stages of his career.

Federer was broken to love in the third game in a similar start to the second set, with the world number one able to do no wrong.

“I think we’re both, all of us, with Rafa, Novak, me, Murray, you name it, Stan, we’re all very happy with our careers”. She continued her flawless streak in seven Australian Open semifinals.“I definitely block it out, ” Williams said in reply to a question about equaling Grafs mark.

Radwanska made the second set more of a contest but she had neither the power nor the skill to prevent the world number one marching on to her 26th grand slam final. “So I don’t think anyone can really play on that kind of level at all”.

Williams, the world No. 1, produced a 6-0, 6-4 rout of Agnieszka Radwanska, taking 64 minutes, while Kerber became the first German to reach the Melbourne final since Anke Huber in 1996 after beating Briton Johanna Konta 7-5, 6-2.

It felt like match point and so it proved as Djokovic served out easily to confirm an emphatic victory in two hours and 19 minutes.

Djokovic employed the tactic with chilling ruthlessness, while Federer’s unforced error count swelled.

“Novak right now is a reference for everybody”, Federer said, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. “I was one off previous year, too. “I’ve played a lot of tennis”.

“Of course I wanted to do well, of course I had a game plan, of course I had ideas what I should do”, Federer said.

“I don’t care if I lose a set 7-6 or 6-1”.