Novak Djokovic vs. Milos Raonic: Score, Reaction from 2015 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic powered his way beyond Milos Raonic to reach the semi-finals of the 2015 Australian Open, beating his opponent 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday.

Djokovic struggled to find momentum in the opening set, but he steadily gained control in the vital moments as the contest wore on. His victory was confirmed by the tournament's official Twitter account:

"

In the end #Raonic was no match for rampant Novak #Djokovic who put away a backhand volley to advance 7-6(5) 6-4 6-2. pic.twitter.com/4Y6LSeHhQP

— Australian Open (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2015"

Both players dominated on their serve in the first set. Djokovic was the first to register a break point at 4-3, but he missed the opportunity. Raonic appeared wary of slugging with the No. 1 seed and looked to kill points early, a high-stakes tactic that ultimately led to errors.

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This came to fruition in the first set tiebreak, which saw Djokovic establish a 2-0 lead through Raonic's unforced errors. The Serb set up three set points after a well-timed rush to the net, and on the third, Raonic once again shot wide to hand his opponent the advantage.

Raonic hit 19 unforced errors in the first set, compared to nine from Novak, as recorded by the Australian Open website. While he notched more winners at this point, posting 18 to Djokovic's 10, Raonic was unable to take advantage of the big points.

Djokovic broke immediately in the second, dominating the set without ever looking like he would falter. He continued to utilise a wide serve, sending Raonic into positions which limited the power of his returns. On the other side of the court, Djokovic calmly stroked shots back with the calmness and accuracy of a player who is growing into the competition at the latter stages.

He took the second set 6-4, per the tournament's feed:

Raonic's output continued to drop. Djokovic enjoyed a double-break to gain a 4-1 lead in the third set, halting any thoughts of a Raonic comeback. The crowd's waning enthusiasm was telling at this point, as the ominous nature of the result settled in when Djokovic stood up to serve for his place in the semis.

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The 27-year-old did just that, once again moving to the net to volley home the all-important winner. Djokovic dominated by winning 100 points to Raonic's 77, posting an 89 percent success rate on his first serve.

Although he only delivered on three of 11 break points, Raonic just didn't have the defensive mind to continually keep his rival at bay. Djokovic spoke to the crowd after the match:

Tennis writer Carole Bouchard added her input:

The Australian fans will now see Djokovic step out in his 25th Grand Slam semi-final. He faces current champion Stanislas Wawrinka, with the winner taking on either Andy Murray of Tomas Berdych in the final.

Djokovic's performance highlights why he's favourite to triumph in a tournament he has won four times since 2008. He'll take confidence from brushing Raonic aside and can only be expected to continue improving as the weekend approaches.