Live Commentary: Novak Djokovic vs. Milos Raonic - as it happened

Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the quarter-final contest at the Australian Open between Novak Djokovic and Milos Raonic.

Djokovic's record in Melbourne is superb, and it's no wonder that he is the favourite to win the tournament. The Serbian won his first Grand Slam title here in 2008, before winning a further three in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

However, Milos Raonic is sure to make things ultra difficult for him today. He has been in superb form so far, and he'll fancy his chances of making it through to his second Grand Slam semi-final.

The winner of this contest will face defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka in the semi-final. The Swiss beat Kei Nishikori earlier today. Djokovic and Wawrinka have history in this tournament, and the Serbian will certainly want revenge for last year's defeat.

The players are preparing to warm up, so we're not far away from this match starting. We've had some crackers in Melbourne in this tournament and there is every chance that this will be another.

If we do go the distance then stamina could play a big part. Djokovic is yet to lose a set here, while Raonic was involved in a five-set thriller with Feliciano Lopez last time out.

Victory for Djokovic today would put him in the semi-final for the 18th time in his last 19 Grand Slams. Is there a more consistent player in the world? I doubt it.

They're knocking up. Raonic is persisting with his radical fashion statement of one arm under a sleeve and one arm bare. I'm not convinced it's working. We're ready to go! Djokovic to serve...

Djokovic starts with an ace, before Raonic goes long with a backhand. Another wayward shot from the Canadian and a neat forehand give Djokovic the perfect start.

A double-fault from Raonic is not the way he wanted to start. Don't worry though, a booming serve next time round gives him an ace to restore order. Volleys are said to be his weakness, and it shows as he lets Djokovic comfortably lob him after a poor effort at the net. An unforced error from each man gives Novak a break point, but there's nothing he can do when Raonic serves an beauty to save it. A few points, and a few big serves, later, we're level.

Two good serves and a well placed forehand put Djokovic in control. He looks in a hurry to get through his service games, but a double-fault holds him up. He serves a nice serve out wide which Raonic can't return and he's back in the lead.

There's the serve we came to see! Two aces give Raonic control in this game, and he looks equally comfortable in general play, where he has improved a lot. A brilliant forehand makes Djokovic hit it long, and he holds serve.

If Raonic is going to win today, he'll need to do some damage on the Djokovic serve. No chance of that happening in this game, as Djokovic's well-placed serves continue to cause problems. The Serbian looks much better in rallies too, as he forces a couple of errors from Raonic and holds comfortably.

This Raonic forehand is a weapon Djokovic will be keen to avoid. A brilliant winner gives him the opening point of the game, before he runs Djokovic ragged and neatly finishes off at the net to take a 30-0 lead. Two big serves later and it's 3-3.

Chance for Raonic! Two errors from Novak, including a strange drop-shot into the net gives the Canadian a 0-30 advantage. Novak gets the next point with another good serve, and Raonic goes marginally wide with a forehand which looked in to the naked eye. A wayward backhand puts Djokovic back in front, but some more brutal hitting by Raonic sends them to deuce. No break this time though as Raonic finds the net, and Novak hits a blistering winner down the line.

Don't leave any balls short to Milos Raonic, his ground-strokes are massive! A big forehand forces Djokovic into an error, but his net play lets him down again as he puts a simple volley into the net. At 30-30, a long rally goes the way of Djokovic to set up a break point, but a 142mph serve saves Raonic. The Canadian holds his serve in the end, but Djokovic is knocking harder on the door.

Another simple hold for the four-time champion, who races through his service game through big serves and clever rallies. Raonic is a big man, and he isn't too comfortable running from side to side. Djokovic is exploiting that, and Raonic will now serve to stay in the set...

Some brilliant defensive play, and another Raonic double-fault gives Djokovic a chance at 30-30. But he's wasted a great opportunity to break! He engages Raonic in a long rally, but fluffs his lines and puts a backhand wide. He's not at his best yet. Raonic holds on, again.

Djokovic is serving every bit as well as Raonic up the other end, but again he fails with a drop-shot, which is picked off easily by the Canadian. An unforced error, and a Novak ace means Raonic will serve to take the opening set to a tie-break.

We have a first-set tie-break after a comfortable hold for Raonic. Some mega serves put this game to bed quickly, while Djokovic must rue that chance two games ago now.

Djokovic starts to grunt during a long opening point, which Raonic puts in the net. Raonic sends a backhand long to give Novak a mini-break before he serves an ace. Djokovic can't stretch his lead though, as he puts a tame forehand in the net. Raonic cracks again and Djokovic has the mini-break, can he convert?

SET! That mini-break made the difference as Djokovic takes the opening set. Raonic serves an ace before Djokovic wins both points on his serve, by mixing his play up. A daring move to the net pays off with a neat volley, but Raonic prolongs the game with two points of his own. Novak has a set point on his own serve, and wins, as Raonic wildly fires a forehand wide.

BREAK! This is a dangerous time for Raonic now. Djokovic may not be getting his usual fizz on the ball, but he's placing his shots in some awkward places. A terrible over-head miss by Raonic gives Novak a chance at 0-30, and he earns three break points as Raonic chips one long. The Canadian saves one, but he can't save the others and Djokovic has earned his first break of the match.

That tie-break success has clearly relaxed Djokovic, who now looks in total control here. He's moving Raonic round the court easily, while his serves are continuing to find the mark. Raonic has no answer, and he concedes this game easily.

Big, big game here for Raonic you feel, and he gets the perfect start with a winner. Two more brilliant aces later and he's 40-0 up. Another bad miss at the net is another dent to his confidence, before Djokovic sends a backhand long to give him the game.

So Raonic has to find a way to break the, so far, impenetrable Djokovic serve. There's no chance of that happening here as Novak holds serve comfortably again. Raonic is clearly uncomfortable at the net, while he gets run ragged in the corners. Easy hold again for the world number one.

This serve is really something to behold when it's cranked up to its maximum. The best serve in the world? There is a strong case for that title. Four more unreturnables give Raonic an easy hold.

Those first-set nerves have been banished by Djokovic, who is striking the ball much better now. A whipped forehand winner gives him the perfect start here, before a clever body serve and two more big forehands send him 4-2 up. Raonic needs to do something fast but when Djokovic is playing like this that is easier said than done.

A piece of advice to you Milos, stop coming to the net! Djokovic, again, fires a shot down at the big man's feet and all he can do is limply put it into the net. Raonic uses his height to put away an over-head impressively, but, again, he fluffs his lines at the net in what should have been a simple put-away. Djokovic sends a shot long though to keep him in contention at 4-3.

A horrible backhand from Djokovic gives Raonic hope at the beginning of the eighth game, but that is quickly extinguished by a driving volley from the Serb. A bit of luck sends Novak 40-15 up, and he regains a two-game lead when a flurry of brutal forehands forces Raonic to find the net.

Raonic is really getting through his service games quickly now, as four more booming serves notch another game on the board. Djokovic can only stand there, watch and admire. Now, he serves for the set...

SET! Raonic thinks he has won the first point when he smashes a forehand at Novak's feet, but the world number one whips an even better shot back across court which forces an error. Two Raonic more errors give the Serb three set points, but he only needs one as he tucks away an over-head. Raonic is in deep trouble now...

Can Raonic stage a comeback?? With the way Djokovic is playing it feels unlikely, but stranger things have happened. The third set doesn't start well for Milos who is shown how to finish at the net by Djokovic. However, he's clearly leant the lesson, after a deft two-volley finish has Novak scrambling. Djokovic earns himself a break point though, but Raonic saves it with a 141mph serve. As you do. The Canadian holds with another big serve, showing plenty of guts.

This is where Raonic has to do damage, but he can't get enough balls in play to seriously challenge the Djokovic serve. Some neat serves and accurate ground-strokes have Raonic in trouble, and he succumbs without scoring a point.

BREAK! The end might just be nigh for Raonic here. Djokovic looks in fine form as he races into a 0-40 lead through some fine forehands. The Serb has got the bit between his teeth and is attacking Raonic at every opportunity. The Canadian saves one point with a big serve, but Djokovic is able to convert as he, again, has Raonic on the run.

Raonic has never come from two-sets down to win, and it's looking unlikely here. He has not earned one break point on the Djokovic serve, and he won't as long Djokovic maintains this high standard. Raonic fails to get some more heavy ground-strokes back in play, and flicks an half-volley wide at the net to fall two games behind.

BREAK! Djokovic is finding ways to win points here that most players wouldn't even think of. At 30-15 up Raonic moves to the net and hits a crisp volley, but a scrambling Novak manages to lift it over his head. Raonic gets the ball back but he can only watch as Djokovic powers it down the line. The Serb then earns himself a break point, and gets a double break when Raonic puts a forehand in the net. He is just two games way from the semi-finals now.

Djokovic has played some phenomenal tennis in the last two sets, but even when he struggled early on his serve remained reliable. Another ace, and a forehand winner puts him in control, before two more unreturnable serves means Raonic will now serve to stay in the match.

In a blur, Raonic fires down some more fine serves which Djokovic either can't reach or can't get back in play. It's another demonstration of Raonic's credentials and he wins the game easily, but Djokovic can now serve it out.

MATCH! A strong start to the game sets Djokovic up, before he puts a simple forehand in the net. But just as Raonic senses hope, Novak earns two match points with another ace. Raonic saves one, but he can't save the second as Djokovic moves him round the court before moving into the net and he crushes a volley down the line. Djokovic has won, after a clinical performance.

Brilliant from Djokovic in the end! He was smart, ruthless and patient. I don't think I've ever seen him serve better. Stan Wawrinka waits in the semi-final, in what should be another cracker!

Djokovic's win completes the semi-final lineup, and what a couple of matches we have. Andy Murray will face the in form Tomas Berych, who destroyed Rafa Nadal two days ago, before Djokovic meets defending champion Stan Wawrinka, in a re-run of last year's quarter-final. Are we set for a Djokovic-Murray final, or can Berdych and Wawrinka cause a minor upset?

Djokovic has said that he was serving "like Boris Becker" today. It may have been a joke, but it's not a silly comparison to his coach.

That will be all from Sports Mole for today but we hope you return for our live coverage of the first semi-finals tomorrow. First up is Ekaterina Makarova vs Maria Sharapova, before Serena Williams plays her fellow American Madison Keys. Then, in the evening session Andy Murray faces Tomas Berdych. We'll be live from midnight GMT, for another excellent day at the Australian Open.