Australian Open 2016: Results, Highlights, Thursday Scores Recap from Melbourne
The No. 1 players in the men's and women's games, respectively, were in action on Day 11 at the Australian Open, and neither disappointed, as they each brought themselves within one win of another Grand Slam title.
Novak Djokovic defeated No. 3 Roger Federer in a four-set thriller, while Serena Williams needed only two sets to cut down No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the final. She'll face No. 7 Angelique Kerber with the championship on the line, as the German ousted Johanna Konta in the semis.
With three of the four final spots in the men's and women's draws now accounted for, here is a full listing of the major results from Thursday's play, as well as a breakdown of how each match played out.
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Day 11 Men's Singles Results
| Semifinals | (1) Novak Djokovic | (3) Roger Federer | 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 |
Day 11 Women's Singles Results
| Semifinals | (1) Serena Williams | (4) Agnieszka Radwanska | 6-0, 6-4 |
| Semifinals | (7) Angelique Kerber | Johanna Konta | 7-5, 6-2 |
Djokovic Outlasts Federer
Djokovic and Federer entered the semifinals on even footing with a career record of 22-22 against each other, but it was Djoker who pulled ahead Thursday by virtue of his 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory.
The Serb had survived a five-set marathon with Gilles Simon two rounds earlier, which showed some vulnerability, but he shot that down quickly in the semis by taking the first two sets in less than an hour combined.
According to the Australian Open's official Twitter account, Nole couldn't have been much happier with his performance to start the match:
Getting up on Fed early was a huge key for Djokovic, especially due to his remarkable record at Grand Slams when winning the first two sets, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Ever the champion, Federer did manage to battle back by taking the third set, but he was once again overwhelmed in the fourth, as Djokovic's serve was in top form.
In addition to his 10 aces, Djoker won 77 percent of his first-serve points and 67 percent of his second-serve points, whereas Federer was at just 61 percent and 49 percent, respectively.
Djokovic also converted five of his nine break-point opportunities, while Federer broke Nole just once, which was perhaps the biggest difference in the match.
There is no question Djokovic proved the Simon match is well behind him, and that doesn't bode well for his final opponent.
The world No. 1 will take on the winner of the other semifinal between No. 2 Andy Murray and No. 13 Milos Raonic—both of whom will be a fairly substantial underdog.
Djokovic is a five-time Aussie Open champion, and he has now made it to the final at five consecutive Grand Slams. He is in a remarkable roll that few others in the history of tennis have ever experienced, and that should be enough to carry him to another title—regardless of his opponent.
Williams Dominates Radwanska
Williams is now just one victory away from tying Steffi Graf with 22 career Grand Slam titles after taking care of Radwanska in the semifinals by a 6-0, 6-4 score.
She didn't waste any time putting her Polish opponent on her heels on Day 11, as she took the first set in just 20 minutes.
Radwanska showed some signs of life in the second set, with the score being 4-4 at one point, but Williams broke the No. 4 seed's serve and then served the match out herself to bring the showdown to its conclusion in just over an hour.
According to Williams, getting back to what worked in the first set is ultimately what allowed her to finish Radwanska off in the second:
There were plenty of question marks surrounding Williams entering the Aussie Open, despite the fact that she won the first three majors of 2015 and reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open.
She took four months off leading up to the tournament, but it seemingly hasn't had any type of negative impact on her, as she has yet to drop a set.
Her dominance has surprised some, and that includes even herself:
Now that it is abundantly clear Williams is in top form, it is extremely difficult to imagine her falling short of her seventh career Australian Open title.
She dominated Radwanska in all facets, with 42 winners to just 17 unforced errors, 88 percent of her points at net won and five breaks of her opponent's serve on six attempts.
There isn't a player in the world who can beat Williams when she is playing at that level, which means she must focus solely on herself in her effort to win her fifth Grand Slam title in her last six tries.
Kerber Takes Down Konta
In a women's semifinal that few could have expected entering the tournament, Kerber showed equal parts guts and quality to take down Konta 7-5, 6-2.
The seventh-seeded German jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set by virtue of two breaks, but quickly gave that advantage away. She managed to battle back, though, and after winning the first set, the rest of the match was her's for the taking.
While Kerber had just 14 winners, her unforced errors total was even lower at 11. She was also helped immensely by what turned out to be a jittery performance from Konta, who made 36 unforced errors overall.
Kerber's ability to track down balls and stay in points spurred her to victory, and she now has little to lose going up against Williams.
According to the Australian Open's official Twitter account, Kerber seemingly feels confident with her form and where she stands in the women's game entering the final:
She also expects to see the best version of Williams since the No. 1 player in the world rarely overlooks opponents regardless of the circumstance, per WTA Insider:
Simply making the final is a huge breakthrough for Kerber since the 28-year-old has been inside the top 10 for so long without getting to this point at a Grand Slam tournament.
She now has a certain amount of pressure off her shoulders, and she has the benefit of being a massive underdog, which means all of the expectations are being heaped on Williams.
Williams handles that type of situation better than anyone, but it gives Kerber every reason to be aggressive and press the issue against the No. 1 player in the world.
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