Australian Open 2020 semifinals: Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic match preview and prediction
In a tournament that seems to have begun only yesterday, we are just a day away from our first semi-final match of the men's singles draw. Many great players have fallen along the way, but as expected it is Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic who have reached the semi-finals from the bottom half of the draw.
Whilst neither player has won all of their matches in straight sets, Djokovic has dropped just the one - in his first-round match. Since then he has been immaculate, dismantling his opponents with ease.
Federer, on the other hand, has struggled through his last 3 matches and has come back from the depths of defeat on 2 occasions to battle his way through to the semi-finals. The Swiss maestro has had more court time than the Serb so it remains to be seen whether fatigue will play a role in the match.
During his last encounter, Federer was dealing with a groin injury throughout much of the match. Afterwards, however, the Swiss remarked that he feels a lot better than he did earlier on, so that is a positive sign.
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In terms of fitness and form, it is Djokovic who has the edge going into tomorrow's match. Federer will have to avoid getting into long rallies with the Serb to conserve his fitness, and that is easier said than done.
The court is playing slower than Federer would like and this again favors Djokovic, whose defensive style of tennis is suited to slower conditions. The Serb is an expert at forcing mistakes out of the opponent, which he should be able to do given the court speed on offer at Melbourne Park.
One thing in Federer's favor is the crowd, who will undoubtedly be behind him during the match - as they typically are when he faces Djokovic. However, Djokovic almost relishes being the pantomime villain in his encounters versus Federer and Rafael Nadal, so this could spur the Serb on even more.
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The first set will be more vital for Federer than it will be for Djokovic. The Swiss needs to get on a roll quickly and turn that into an advantage. If not, Djokovic will begin his arduous process of wearing down the Swiss, and could quickly run away with the match.
As it stands, Djokovic is undoubtedly the favorite to win the match tomorrow. However, his opponent is Federer after all, and if there is one thing that he has shown us this tournament, it is that he is capable of coming back from any situation.
Nevertheless, we should not underestimate that Federer is 38 years old and his recovery process is not what it once was. The conditions seem to be heavily in Djokovic's favor and it will most likely be him who wins the match.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in 4 sets.