Novak Djokovic advanced through to his sixth Australian Open final thanks to a 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory over Roger Federer this morning.
The defending champion, who has clinched the trophy five times before in Melbourne, has now reached the final of 17 of the last 22 Grand Slam tournaments.
Number three seed Federer was unable to cope with the world number one in the first two sets, which were wrapped up in under an hour.
However, just when it appeared that Djokovic was destined to win the encounter in straight sets, 34-year-old Federer rallied to force the encounter into a fourth set.
The first seven service outings had been held when Djokovic pounced with a break in a game that contained the match's best point. Federer won it as Djokovic fired into the net following a lengthy rally, but crucially the Serb was able to recover and open up a 5-3 lead.
That presented him with the chance to serve for a place in the final, which he duly did to love.
Djokovic will now take on the winner of Andy Murray's match against Milos Raonic in Sunday's showpiece game.
Liam Apicella
