Murray vs. Djokovic: Start Time, TV Info and Predictions for Semifinal Match

Novak Djokovic continued his dominance, beating David Ferrer 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 to reach the 2012 Australian Open semifinals against Andy Murray, the No. 4 seed. 

By winning, Djokovic made it possible for the the top four seeds in the world to all make it to the semifinals. It's the third time in five majors that the top four have all advanced this far. 

Murray has never won a Grand Slam before, and now has the difficult task of facing Djokovic just to get to the finals. In the last two years at the Australian Open, Murray has made it to the finals. 

He lost to Roger Federer once and then to Djokovic in last year's final. The odds are stacked against him, but he is still capable of winning. 

Since Djokovic was struggling with his breathing and grabbed his hamstring at one point in the match against Ferrer, Murray has a great chance of pulling off the upset. 

Djokovic and Murray have gone head-to-head 10 times, and Djokovic is leading the series 6-4. Murray can make up some ground here, but he'll have to be on his A-game in the semifinals. 

With that said, let's take a look at some specifics of this Australian Open showdown. 

When: Friday, Jan. 27 at 3:30 a.m. ET 

Where: Melbourne Park

Watch: ESPN2

What's at Stake? 

The winner advances to the finals, which is where both players met in last year's Australian Open. 

Djokovic is looking to build off of his success from last season, whereas Murray is hoping to win his first ever Grand Slam. 

It should be a great match because these two have a good history together, plus there is a lot on the line since they're so close to winning it all. 

What They're Saying 

Djokovic told the BBC that he will use last year as a guide to help him beat Murray, but he knows it won't be easy. 

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I'm going to try and repeat the same game as last year, Djokovic said. But I'm going to need more than that - Andy is playing great. He has showed he is in great shape...you can feel he is physically fit and eager to win his first Grand Slam. 

"

These two young stars know each other's game very well, which is why it will be an intense match. Both players are hungry to win it all, so this match will come down to who wants it more. 

Murray told The Independent that he too will look to last year's match for help, but he knows he can't make the same mistakes this time around. 

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You have to play great tennis and try to take [Djokovic's] legs away. I will need to have a gameplan, stay focused and try to do better than I did last year.

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Djokovic beat Murray in straight sets last year, 6–4, 6–2, 6–3. Murray has to step up and prepare to go the distance against Djokovic because the world's No. 1 player will not back down. 

He may lose a set, but Djokovic will keep coming with all he has, so Murray has to be ready for it. He has a chance to win but only if he is on the top of his game. 

Keys for Murray Win 

Murray has to do a better job of serving in this match, simply because Djokovic is going to thrive no matter what. He's been on a roll recently, which means Murray has to play the best he's ever played. 

In his win over Kei Nishikori, Murray only got 44 percent of his first serves in play. This has to be better on Friday or Djokovic will run away with the match. 

What's more, Murray has to find a way to tire Djokovic down, as it will greatly increase his chances of winning. Putting more pressure on Djokovic and making him work harder could lead to a Murray victory.

After all, Djokovic was having some health problems in his recent match, which could still be a problem on Friday. 

Keys to Djokovic Win 

Once again, Djokovic will have to dig deep and rely on his mental and physical strength to get him through a match. Murray will be ready to play, hoping to get revenge on Djokovic, which means the Serbian better be ready to fight for a long night. 

With health concerns, Djokovic needs to get out front early, forcing Murray to try and come from behind. That is never easy against Djokovic. 

Resting up over the next couple days is key for Djokovic. Any issues he might have with his body will give Murray the upper hand, which would do a great deal of damage for Djokovic. 

Prediction 

This will be a heated match, much better than last year's final. Murray is going to give it his all, giving Djokovic his toughest contest yet. 

However, in the end, Djokovic will prove why he is the world's No. 1 player, winning in four sets to advance to the Australian Open finals once again.