Australian Open 2020 Men's Semi-Final: TV Schedule, Start Time, Live Stream

The semi-finals for the 2020 men's singles competition at the Australian Open are set, with a quartet of big names in contention for a spot in the final.

On Thursday, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will write another chapter in their longstanding rivalry, as they face off in what should be a thrilling encounter.

A day later, Dominic Thiem will be out to build on the momentum he accrued from his excellent win over Rafael Nadal. He will take on Alexander Zverev, who has begun to overcome his Grand Slam issues at this competition, making it to the final four of one of the majors for the first time in his career.

Here are the key details on where to catch what promise to be some absorbing contests in Melbourne.

Men's Semi-Final Schedule (GMT)

Thursday, January 30

Not before 8:30 a.m.: (2) Novak Djokovic vs. (3) Roger Federer

Friday, January 31

Not before 8:30 a.m.: (5) Dominic Thiem vs. (7) Alexander Zverev

TV Info: Eurosport 1 (U.K.), ESPN 2 (U.S.), Tennis Channel (U.S.)

Live Stream: Eurosport Player (U.K.), ESPN Plus (U.S.) Tennis Channel Everywhere (U.S.)

Preview

It's no surprise to see both Federer and Djokovic in the semi-finals, but they've both taken different paths.

While Djokovic hasn't dropped a set since his first match and coasted past Milos Raonic in the quarter-finals, Federer has been on the brink of elimination a couple of times.

The Swiss somehow clung on in the quarters against Tennys Sandgren, when he saved seven match points and eventually clinched the clash in five sets. 

Eurosport shared the highlights of one of the best comeback wins of Federer's career:

Given Federer was suffering with a groin injury during the Sandgren match and was taken to five sets in the previous round against John Millman, you suspect his 38-year-old frame will be sore as he prepares for the showdown with Djokovic.

It makes the Serbian, who is the defending champion and a seven-time winner of this competition, a big favourite to progress into Sunday's showpiece final.

Also looking to get there will be Zverev, who has displayed signs of finally delivering on his immense potential. In the quarters, he dug deep to beat Stanislas Wawrinka, fighting back from a set down and showing the sort of steely focus fans have long been demanding from him on this stage.

After the win, Zverev said he didn't have especially high ambitions at this competition:

The German's mindset will be fascinating going into the semi; already this is his best performance at a Grand Slam, but the pressure of playing this deep into a major event will be a new experience.

Thiem has played in two Grand Slam finals before, both at the French Open. In each of those he lost to Nadal, although he gained a measure of revenge on Wednesday by beating the Spaniard.

The Austrian showed both quality and resilience to best the top seed in four sets; that type of performance—given the opponent he beat and the manner of the win—should give him the confidence to win one of these major events.