Australian Open 2015 Semifinals: Djokovic vs. Wawrinka Preview and Predictions

A showdown dreamed about since the reveal of the 2015 Australian Open draw is now a reality, as top-seeded Novak Djokovic faces off against No. 4 Stan Wawrinka in Friday's semifinal.

Defending champion Wawrinka has been overlooked since the start of play, but he has left no doubt of his contending status with no set losses in five ever-impressive victories.

It's only fitting that the Swiss star will have to go through Djokovic—the man he beat in last year's quarterfinal to end the Serbian's three-year reign in Melbourne—in order to reach the final step.

With the women's final set and half of the men's draw settled, this is all there's left to look forward to before a duo of thrilling finals. But with the storylines and anticipation surrounding it, it feels like a final in and of itself.

Here's everything you need to know for Djokovic vs. Wawrinka.

When: Friday, January 30

Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Start Time (ET): 3:30 a.m.

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Djokovic vs. Wawrinka Semifinal Preview

Michael Dodge/Getty Images

The recent dominance of Djokovic in Melbourne and the tear he's been on since arriving for this year's tournament indicate a smooth sailing for him, but he knows better than anyone what his opponent on Friday is capable of.

That's because Wawrinka is the one who brought Djokovic's hopes of a fifth Australian Open—and fourth consecutive—to a halt in last year's shocking quarterfinal upset. Wawrinka went on to win it all, his first career Grand Slam.

Djokovic comes into this one well-oiled after two impressive wins over top-10-seeded foes, but he knows he's facing a much more capable player on Friday, per Australian Open:

Djokovic figures to come out more aggressive knowing that his opponent has failed to lose a set all tournament long. The first couple of games will be crucial for the top seed to set the tone and show the defending champ that points are going to come much harder against Djokovic's length and power.

If anything, Djokovic can look to an eerie trend to prove that Wawrinka is emerging right in front of him. They faced one round later in each of the last three Australian Opens—from the round of 16, to last year's quarterfinals, to their semifinal match this weekend.

Those matches were nonetheless huge, but with a spot in the final on the line this time around, haymakers should be expected from both baselines. NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal gave American fans a comparison for the historical significance of Friday's match:

Really, though, this could be foreseen long ago. With Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal all on the opposite half of the draw, Djokovic and Wawrinka were destined for a semifinal matchup before they picked up the racket in Melbourne.

That doesn't make getting here any less sweet for Wawrinka, who knows better than anyone that there are endless possibilities over the course of a match, per Swiss Tennis:

Recent history would suggest Wawrinka might have the edge even against the world's best player, but that would be blatantly ignoring what Djokovic has done over the last few months—and especially in Melbourne. 

"Everything about Djokovic's current form is more than fine," USA Today's Nick McCarvel wrote. "The world No. 1 is 20-2 since the U.S. Open; he's lost just once at the Australian Open in the last five years; and he's won a staggering 70 out of 71 service games in this tournament, not dropping a set in five matches."

Vincent Thian/Associated Press

Wawrinka's incredible streak of set wins is nothing to scoff at, especially when they came against red-hot foes like Kei Nishikori. But he has much more than one set to worry about losing when Friday comes.

There's nothing small about Wawrinka's serve, but he'll be unable to power past Djokovic like he's powered past his opponents over the last five matches. Djokovic's range will keep him from picking out his spots, and the top seed's dominant return game will overtake Wawrinka on a number of service games.

With that said, Wawrinka has enough talent and is playing confidently enough to make Djokovic work for it, too. He'll stay in every set, but Djokovic will set the tone from the opening game.

Prediction: Djokovic wins; 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8), 7-5