Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer collide for the 50th time as their legendary rivalry continues in the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday night.
Novak Djokovic ?? vs Roger Federer ?? Match Info
Date: Thursday January 30
Tournament: Australian Open SF
Court: Rod Laver Arena
Time: 7.30pm local time (8.30am GMT)
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer Head-to-Head
Djokovic leads 26-23
| Year | Tournament | Surface | Winner | Score |
| 2019 | ATP Finals RR | Hard | Federer | 6-4 6-3 |
| 2019 | Wimbledon Final | Grass | Djokovic | 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(4) 4-6 13-12 |
| 2018 | Paris SF | Hard | Djokovic | 7-6(6) 5-7 7-6(3) |
| 2018 | Cincinnati Final | Hard | Djokovic | 6-4 6-4 |
| 2016 | Australian Open SF | Hard | Djokovic | 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3 |
| 2015 | ATP Finals Final | Hard | Djokovic | 6-3 6-4 |
| 2015 | ATP Finals RR | Hard | Federer | 7-5 6-2 |
| 2015 | US Open Final | Hard | Djokovic | 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 |
| 2015 | Cincinnati Final | Hard | Federer | 7-6(1) 6-3 |
| 2015 | Wimbledon Final | Grass | Djokovic | 7-6(1) 6-7(10) 6-4 6-3 |
| 2015 | Rome Final | Clay | Djokovic | 6-4 6-3 |
| 2015 | Indian Wells Final | Hard | Djokovic | 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 |
| 2015 | Dubai Final | Hard | Federer | 6-3 7-5 |
| 2014 | ATP Finals Final | Hard | Djokovic | Walkover |
| 2014 | Shanghai SF | Hard | Federer | 6-4 6-4 |
| 2014 | Wimbledon Final | Grass | Djokovic | 6-7(7) 6-4 7-6(4) 5-7 6-4 |
| 2014 | Monte-Carlo SF | Clay | Federer | 7-5 6-2 |
| 2014 | Indian Wells Final | Hard | Djokovic | 3-6 6-3 7-6(3) |
| 2014 | Dubai SF | Hard | Federer | 3-6 6-3 6-2 |
| 2013 | ATP Finals RR | Hard | Djokovic | 6-4 6-7(2) 6-2 |
| 2013 | Paris SF | Hard | Djokovic | 4-6 6-3 6-2 |
| 2012 | ATP Finals Final | Hard | Djokovic | 7-6(6) 7-5 |
| 2012 | Cincinnati Final | Hard | Federer | 6-0 7-6(7) |
| 2012 | Wimbledon SF | Grass | Federer | 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 |
| 2012 | Roland Garros SF | Clay | Djokovic | 6-4 7-5 6-3 |
| 2012 | Rome SF | Clay | Djokovic | 6-2 7-6(4) |
| 2011 | US Open SF | Hard | Djokovic | 6-7(7) 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5 |
| 2011 | Roland Garros SF | Clay | Federer | 7-6(5) 6-3 3-6 7-6(5) |
| 2011 | Indian Wells SF | Hard | Djokovic | 6-3 3-6 6-2 |
| 2011 | Dubai Final | Hard | Djokovic | 6-3 6-3 |
| 2011 | Australian Open SF | Hard | Djokovic | 7-6(3) 7-5 6-4 |
| 2010 | ATP Finals SF | Hard | Federer | 6-1 6-4 |
| 2010 | Basel Final | Hard | Federer | 6-4 3-6 6-1 |
| 2010 | Shanghai SF | Hard | Federer | 7-5 6-4 |
| 2010 | US Open SF | Hard | Djokovic | 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 7-5 |
| 2010 | Canada SF | Hard | Federer | 6-1 3-6 7-5 |
| 2009 | Basel Final | Hard | Djokovic | 6-4 4-6 6-2 |
| 2009 | US Open SF | Hard | Federer | 7-6(3) 7-5 7-5 |
| 2009 | Cincinnati Final | Hard | Federer | 6-1 7-5 |
| 2009 | Rome SF | Clay | Djokovic | 4-6 6-3 6-3 |
| 2009 | Miami SF | Hard | Djokovic | 3-6 6-2 6-3 |
| 2008 | US Open SF | Hard | Federer | 6-3 5-7 7-5 6-2 |
| 2008 | Monte-Carlo SF | Clay | Federer | 6-3 3-2 RET |
| 2008 | Australian Open SF | Hard | Djokovic | 7-5 6-3 7-6(5) |
| 2007 | US Open Final | Hard | Federer | 7-6(4) 7-6(2) 6-4 |
| 2007 | Canada Final | Hard | Djokovic | 7-6(2) 2-6 7-6(2) |
| 2007 | Dubai QF | Hard | Federer | 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 |
| 2007 | Australian Open | Hard | Federer | 6-2 7-5 6-3 |
| 2006 | Davis Cup RR | Hard | Federer | 6-3 6-2 6-3 |
| 2006 | Monte-Carlo R64 | Clay | Federer | 6-3 2-6 6-3 |
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer Match Preview
A blockbuster showdown between two titans of tennis awaits in the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday night as Djokovic and Federer renew their long-standing rivalry.
Djokovic holds the slight edge with 26 wins to 23, but the Serbian has been dominant in Grand Slams for the better part of the last decade, winning their last five encounters, with Federer’s last triumph at a major coming back at Wimbledon 2012. Furthermore, Djokovic has won four of their last five contests, including their epic Wimbledon final in 2019 where he saved two championship points before prevailing 13-12 in a fifth set tiebreak. Djokovic is also unbeaten in Australian Open semi-finals and finals, winning the title on all seven occasions he’s advanced to the final four at Melbourne Park. Federer can however take confidence from the fact he did win their last meeting, preventing Djokovic from regaining the No. 1 ranking at the ATP Finals to close 2019.
However, this is a much different Djokovic. The 16-time major champion didn’t have a good finish to last season, retiring at the U.S. Open and generally looking tired and fatigued from another energy-sapping year. Djokovic has exploded out of the blocks to launch 2020, registering a perfect 11-0 record after guiding Serbia to the ATP Cup trophy – beating Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal along the way – while he’s dropped just one set (in his R1 vs Jan-Lennard Struff) to make the Australian Open semi-finals for the eighth time, with his serve going to another level as he chases a record-extending eighth title in Melbourne.
Live Stream: How to watch and bet on the 2020 Australian Open live from Melbourne Park
Speaking after his straight sets dispatch of Milos Raonic in Tuesday night’s quarter-finals, Djokovic said he was ready for another battle with Federer.
“I know that whenever we get a chance to play each other, we understand it takes a big effort and it’s required from us to come up with the best game in order to win against each other,” said Djokovic.
“At Wimbledon last year, he had two match points, he was one shot away from winning that match. It’s not like I’ve been dominating the matchups. I’ve had success against him, in Grand Slams in particular.
“But Roger is Roger. You know that he’s always going to play on such a high level, regardless of the surface. He loves to play these kind of matches, big rivalries, semi-finals, finals of Grand Slams.”
These are the kind of matches that keep Federer playing the sport at 38 years of age, but after what transpired in his epic quarter-final against Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday, you have to wonder just how much the Swiss will have to offer against the defending champion.
Federer, somehow survived a titanic tussle with Sandgren, saving seven match points in an extraordinary effort to outlast the American by a 6-3 2-6 2-6 7-6(8) 6-3 scoreline. Trailing two-sets-to-one, Federer went off-court to receive a medial timeout, and when he returned, he could barely move or complete his normal service motion. The six-time Australian Open champion was struggling to get out to his backhand wing and his speed behind his serve was well down on usual, so it appeared as if it was only a matter of time before Sandgren surged to the finish line. However, the American, ranked 100 in the world, became tentative in baseline exchange and would ultimately blow seven match points in the fourth set – and from there, Federer’s adrenaline got him through as he produced a spectacular escape act.
“For most of the time there, I thought that was it,” said Federer. “Of course, there’s little sparkles where maybe not, then you’re like, no, it is over. Only maybe when I won that fourth set did I really think that maybe this whole thing could turn around.
“Honestly, when they told me seven [match points], I was like, ‘What? I thought it was three.’ It’s such a blur at some point.”
Federer later revealed he was struggling with a groin problem, but you do have to wonder if there was a back issue as well, given his struggles in the past with that area of his body. In any case, considering he was on the brink of defeat against John Millman, lost a set against Marton Fucsovics and somehow survived in five against Sandgren, it’s hard to see how Federer is going to physically hang with the best Australian Open player in history on Thursday night.
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer Prediction
I don’t see how Djokovic can lose this. He’s never lost an Australian Open semi-final and is looking as sharp as ever, while Federer is 38, wounded and hasn’t beaten Djokovic in a best-of-five set match since 2012. It would be a seismic shock if Federer kept this one close, let alone emerge victorious.
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