Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer: Score and Reaction from 2016 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic survived an impressive fightback from Roger Federer to beat the Swiss 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals of the 2016 Australian Open on Thursday.

He sealed his spot in the final after a 139-minute contest having stormed through the opening two sets in immaculate fashion, only for Federer to mount a stirring comeback.

The world No. 1 stayed firm and claimed the fourth set to take his place in the last two. SI Tennis confirmed the result, which sees Djokovic into a fifth Melbourne final in six years:

The pressure from Djokovic was unrelenting from the start as he went 3-0 up inside seven minutes having broken Federer with some brutal forehands.

The Swiss got a game on the board for 3-1, but there was no change in momentum as Djokovic continued to make seemingly every big shot he went for.

Another break for 5-1 and a routine hold handed the five-time champion the first set in only 22 minutes.

The stats from the opening set made for remarkable reading, per the Australian Open:

Djokovic	Stats	Federer
2	Aces	1
52	1st serve percentage	50
10/11	1st serve points won	5/7
6/10	2nd serve points won	1/7
1/1	Net points won	3/7
2/2	Break points won	0/0
2	Winners	1
2	Unforced errors	12
24	Total points win	11

Federer's numerous unforced errors came from the fact he had to go for every corner, every line, just to have a chance of winning a point. And things got no easier for the 17-time Grand Slam winner in the second set.

He came under pressure again in his first service game but managed a galvanising hold, per tennis writer Chris Goldsmith:

He did not get a sniff of a break point on the Djokovic serve, though, and the 28-year-old went 2-1 ahead thanks to a couple of superlative forehands.

Federer attempted to change his tactics slightly as he looked for a way to get into the game, approaching the net more and utilising his sliced backhand to take some of the speed off the ball.

But it made little difference, as Djokovic broke again for 4-1, continuing one of the most impressive performances in recent memory, per BBC 5 Live's David Law:

A love hold at 5-2 sealed the second set for Djokovic inside an hour, and there seemed little hope of a Federer comeback, per Eurosport UK TV:

"

'No-one came here expecting to see him get mauled'; @DjokerNole races to two set lead in #AusOpen semi https://t.co/uykOUzP6xt

— Eurosport UK TV (@EurosportUKTV) January 28, 2016"

However, the Swiss got some traction in the third set as he found his range on the serve, and Djokovic's incredible level inevitably dropped slightly.

Backed by the partisan crowd in the Rod Laver Arena, Federer ran a few service holds together for the first time in the match.

At 3-2 up in the third, he got his first break points of the match with some stunning net play, but the top seed duly saved them both.

However, in a game that lasted more than 10 minutes, Federer forced another break point with a wonderful pickup on the fourth deuce, and this time he managed to convert it—to the delight of the crowd, per the New York Times' Ben Rothenberg:

Federer served out two more holds to take the set, and Djokovic's hints of frustration suggested the chance of a glorious comeback.

It could have been on as well. The Serbian looked a little shaken early in the fourth as his first serve failed him slightly, offering Federer chances he had not been given all match.

The 34-year-old could not take full advantage, though, and while he continued to hold his serve with relative ease, Djokovic scrambled to stay in touch.

And then he stepped up a level when it mattered most. Djokovic edged ahead on Federer's serve at 4-3, and despite the Swiss regaining parity at 30-30 after a quite extraordinary rally, the Serb eventually broke to serve for the set, per Eurosport UK TV:

"

A quite brilliant rally. Nothing more needs to be said. #AusOpen https://t.co/rcilXSKkqU

— Eurosport UK TV (@EurosportUKTV) January 28, 2016"

He duly claimed the fourth set and the match in clinical fashion and will now go for a sixth Australian Open title on Sunday.

Post-Match Reaction

The Australian Open provided Djokovic's post-match comments on their Twitter feed, in which the defending champion paid tribute to his opponent:

Having seen off Federer, only Andy Murray or Milos Raonic now stands in the way of further Melbourne glory for Djokovic.