Novak Djokovic steamrolled another opponent, beating Tommy Paul to advance to the Australian Open final against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Serbia’s Djokovic, 35, overcame a stutter in the first set, re-establishing his authority to defeat the American 7-5 6-1 6-2.
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After defeating Russian Karen Khachanov, Tsitsipas, 24, now has another chance to win his first Grand Slam title.
Tsitsipas, the third seed from Greece, defeated Khachanov 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3.
Tsitsipas advanced to the final against 18th seed Khachanov by saving two match points in the third-set tie-break.
Another tight forehand cost Tsitsipas a third chance in the final game, before regaining his composure to convert his fourth when Khachanov batted long a first serve.
Tsitsipas lost to Djokovic in the French Open final in 2021 and now has the chance to avenge that defeat in his first appearance at the Australian Open.
To win the trophy, he must become the first player since 2018 to defeat Djokovic at Melbourne Park.
Rafael Nadal has won 22 major men’s titles, while Djokovic, who defeated Paul to create a new record of 27 straight victories in the men’s singles here, is hoping for a record-extending 10th triumph that would match that total.
The victor will also take over as the new world champion.
Djokovic had breezed through the previous rounds without incident, and after a couple of days in which his father Srdjan made headlines for posing with supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he appeared to be in for a similar experience on the court against Paul.
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‘We are against the war,’ says Djokovic, who is trying to limit the impact of a hamstring injury that has bothered him throughout the tournament by spending as little time on court as possible.
After thrashing Australian hope Alex de Minaur and Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev in less than two hours, Paul appeared to be heading for an even quicker defeat in his first appearance in a major semi-final.
