That’s all for tonight’s live coverage. We will be back tomorrow for the women’s final. We look forward to your company then.
For all the talk of a changing of the guard in tennis, the 'big dogs' still rule
For all the talk of breakout tournaments from tennis' generation next, two absolutely brutal semi-finals have proven that the world order of tennis is still firmly locked in place according to one legend of the game.
For how long have we been waiting for the changing of the guard and the end of the great period of dominance by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and, to a lesser extent, Andy Murray?
It feels like we've seen waves of new stars roll through, challenge briefly, and fall away without upsetting the natural order of grand slam winners.
We’ve seen Kei Nishikori (now 29 years old) reach the US Open final as a 24 year old, where he lost to Marin Cilic – one of only three players to have broken the Big Four’s dominance dating back Marat Safin's triumph at the 2005 Australian Open.
14 years. 54 possible titles. Of which just four - two to Stan Wawrinka, Juan Martin del Potro's Flushing Meadows triumph in 2009 and Cilic's effort - have been lifted by someone outside the Big Four.
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It has been an extraordinary level of dominance the likes of which we will surely never see again.
But as much as it sings the praises of Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray, it also calls out the generations which have followed them and been unable to usher in the natural changing of the guard.
In recent years we’ve seen Germany’s Alexander Zverev threaten to break out, as well as other rising stars like Canada's former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, his countryman Denis Shapovalov and Australia’s own Nick Kyrgios.
Grigor Dimitrov threatened, then faltered. Dominic Thiem reached a French Open final and seems a genuine claycourt successor to Nadal, should he ever fall away.
As the opening grand slam tournament of the calendar year, the Australian Open always feels like an opportunity for the new breed to lay their markers for the coming season.
And so it was as Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas and French rising star Lucas Pouille forced their way into surprise semi-final appearances, while Francis Tiafoe enjoyed a big Australian Open this summer
Was the changing of the guard here?
The answer has been an emphatic ‘no’, with Tsitsipas left rattled, dazed and near speechless after his one hour, 46 minute demolition at the hands of the Spanish bulldozer Nadal – who dropped just six games after earlier crushing Tiafoe in straight sets.
Incredibly, 24 hours later, Djokovic was even more ruthless in destroying 24-year-old Pouille in just 83 minutes 6-0 6-2 6-2.
“Tsitsipas, 20 years of age, Lucas Pouille is 24 and also quite young in his career. So, there is a discussion, and we will continue to have it. When is the changing of the guard coming?” asks veteran tennis commentator and two-time grand slam champion Jim Courier.
“I think it is pretty clear it is not here yet. And it is still the big dogs on top at the moment.
“It sure looks like Novak and Rafa and Roger played here pretty well too.
“Tsitsipas played a fire of a match to beat him. They look like they will still be running the show for a little bit.”
While certainly owning too many grey hairs to be considered ‘next gen’, the likable Juan Martin del Potro’s comeback story almost felt like he was a new player – and he came close to upsetting Djokovic in last year’s US Open final.
But the biggest problem for the game’s rising talents, according to two-time slam winner Lleyton Hewitt, is that whilever Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are around – the road to a grand slam final is a rocky and treacherous one.
“I don't know if there is going to be a time when all three will play a bad match,” Hewitt explained.
“One of them may play an average match and you can step up and take it to them and play a career match on your side of the net and beat one of them.”
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Watch: Djokovic speaks after stunning win
The great man Jim Courier chats with #AusOpen finalist Novak Djokovic after his dominant win. #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/dLIJbzZtDf
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) January 25, 2019
‘One of the best matches I have ever had on this court’
Novak Djokovic has spoken after his dominant win over Lucas Pouille, describing it as one of his best ever matches on Rod Laver Arena.
“It is definitely one of the best matches I have ever had on this court, definitely,” he said after the match.
“You know, everything worked the way I imagined it before the match and even more so. Tough one for Lucas, but he had a great tournament, and I wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”
Djokovic’s return to the final is even more impressive when you look back on where he was this time 12 months ago.
The Serbian was set for surgery and had just been dumped in the third round,
However, he never gave up the belief he was good enough to come back.
“It was highly unlikely 12 months ago that I would be where I am today, a year later,” he said.
“But I've said it before, and I always have plenty of belief in myself, and I think the self-belief is something that always prevails.”
Djokovic will next take on Rafael Nadal in what will be a mouth-watering final.
Well, that was all sorts of dominating from the world No.1. He finished the match with 24 winners and just five – YES FIVE – unforced errors.
It wasn’t even like Pouille went out and played poorly. Djokovic was just at his absolute best from the moment the first ball was struck.
Djokovic defeats Pouille 6-0 6-2 6-2
Well, that was all sorts of dominating from the world No.1. He finished the match with 24 winners and just five – YES FIVE – unforced errors.
It wasn’t even like Pouille went out and played poorly. Djokovic was just at his absolute best from the moment the first ball was struck.
Djokovic two games away for final
The beat-down continues. Novak now leads 4-2 in the third set. I almost feel a bit sorry for the people who have paid big money to see this. They have barely got an hour of action.
Even Jim Courier can’t believe how good Djokovic is playing. “This is insanity,” he said on Channel 9.
Relentless, unstoppable Djokovic nabs third set break
Nothing coming easily for Pouille who has Djokovic at 40-30 – and on the ropes in painful rallies – but as he has done for the past decade, the Serbian star fights on every rally, chases every point and forces his opponent into errors.
He works back to deuce and opens the door ajar as Pouille forces a forehand wide to bring up another break point – his tenth of the match.
After another gruelling rally, Pouille fires one into the net and Novak – for the sixth time – has a break.
Relentless, unstoppable tennis.
He leads by two sets and a break, up 3-1 in the third set.
Pouille holds. He needs everything he can get but more than that he needs to carry some of the momentum of one of these holds into the following game to try and apply pressure.
But for the fifth time in this match, Djokovic holds to love in response.
This is some tennis exhibition he is unleashing on the young Frenchman today and leads 2-1 in the third set.
Djokovic putting on a tennis clinic
Pouille holds. He needs everything he can get but more than that he needs to carry some of the momentum of one of these holds into the following game to try and apply pressure.
But for the fifth time in this match, Djokovic holds to love in response.
This is some tennis exhibition he is unleashing on the young Frenchman today and leads 2-1 in the third set.
Novak slams window of opportunity shut
Novak opens the third set with a hold, which included a rare window of opportunity for Pouille.
But one which was quickly shut.
"We are looking at tennis Gods in this era," says Courier.
"They just don't let you off the hook that often."
It did, however, include Novak's third unforced error of the match. It's come much earlier in the set than in the first and second sets.
Is he unravelling? No. No he's not. We're searching for positives for Lucas Pouille here…
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