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Australian Open 2019: Day 12 live action

The World No 1 took less than 90 minutes to steamroller his way to a showdown in the final against Rafael Nadal.

Adrian McMurray
5 min read
3:47PMJanuary 25, 2019.
Updated 9:56PMJanuary 25, 2019
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Novak Djokovic in action during his semi-final against Lucas Pouille. Picture: AFP
Novak Djokovic in action during his semi-final against Lucas Pouille. Picture: AFP

Samantha Stosur and Shuai Zhang clinched the women’s doubles title, while world No 1 Novak Djokovic demolished Lucas Pouille to progress to the men’s singles final where Rafael Nadal awaits. See how Day 12 of the Australian Open unfolded below.

Adrian McMurray 9.10pm: Djokovic cruises, Rafa awaits

That’s it! Djokovic breaks the Pouille serve one last time to advance to the final, winning 6-0 6-2 6-2 in 1hr 23min. Just the five unforced errors the entire match from Novak. Incredible performance, making that the World No 1’s 28th consecutive victory over a French player at a Grand Slam. Nadal awaits on Sunday.

Post-match, Djokovic said: “That’s definitely one of the best matches I’ve had on this court. Everything worked the way I imagined it before the match. A tough one for Lucas, but he had a great tournament.

“It was highly unlikely 12 months ago that I’d be where I am today, a year later.”

When quizzed on the final, he said: “I would definitely want to buy a ticket for that match.”

We’ll all be watching on Sunday.

Adrian McMurray 9.08pm: Pouille’s last stand

Hope for Pouille in the third, as he holds. The fact that I’m framing things like that is probably a fair indication of the predicament the Frenchman finds himself in.

Djokovic breaks and moves to a 4-1 lead, before Pouille wins his service game to love. Last roll of the dice, really, as Djokovic returns in kind to lead 6-0 6-2 5-2, just one game shy of a spot in the final.

Despite the rather one-sided score, some of the tennis on display has been top-notch.

Adrian McMurray 8.44pm: Blink or you’ll miss it

A fairly routine service game takes Djokovic to within one game of the set … and after a back-and-forth passage of play, he breaks the Pouille serve to take the set! That one took 33 minutes … something tells me this won’t last much longer.

Just quietly, what about the slick hands from this ball boy?

The World No 1 leads 6-0 6-2.

Adrian McMurray 8.33pm: No stopping Novak

My word, Djokovic has picked up where he left off in the second. Pouille holds his serve — and wins a game for the first time this match — but not even two aces can save him the next time around. Djokovic is in rare touch, holding to take it to 4-1.

A rare highlight for Pouille, who then holds his serve, with just Djokovic’s second unforced error of the match giving him a leg-up. Novak leads 6-0 4-2.

Adrian McMurray 8.10pm: Gone in 23 minutes

There’s the set! Djokovic takes it 6-0 in 23 minutes. Nadal might have an extra day’s rest but if the World No 1 keeps this up, that advantage might be wiped! Just the one unforced error that set, too. Tidy stuff to say the least! Todd Woodbridge says in commentary that it’s one of the “cleanest sets of tennis that the World No 1 had ever played”. Hard to argue with that.

Adrian McMurray 8.00pm: Djokovic’s dominant start

We are underway in the men’s semi between Djokovic and Pouille! The World No 1 hasn’t given Pouille a look-in so far, a break straight away plus a service game to love has Djokovic at 3-0. He breaks again, this time in a tense game that lasts over five minutes, before holding his serve yet again to love. Djokovic leads 5-0 … is this one over already?

Adrian McMurray 6.40pm: ‘We have a great friendship’

A nice moment post-match, as Stosur speaks after the doubles win.

She thanks the tournament organisers, her team and the fans, and she speaks of the friendship she has with Zhang.

Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai celebrate with the championship trophy. Picture: AFP
Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai celebrate with the championship trophy. Picture: AFP

“It’s always a pleasure being on court with you, we have a great friendship, and I think that really shows when we play,” Stosur said.

“We support each other no matter what — we win the point, lose the point, win the match, lose the match — it doesn’t matter, we’re always there.”

Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai celebrate with the championship trophy. Picture: AFP
Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai celebrate with the championship trophy. Picture: AFP

If that doesn’t warm your heart, I don’t know what will. We’re not far away from the second men’s semi between Djokovic and Pouille, which will get underway at 7.30pm AEDT.

Adrian McMurray 5.54pm: Stosur wins on home soil

Stosur and Zhang have done it! They’ve won the women’s doubles, prevailing 6-3 6-4 in the final.

An epic 25-shot rally set up championship point, an unforced error handing the Australian and her Chinese partner the title.

That’s Stosur’s first doubles title in Melbourne and third overall having won in New York in 2005 and at Roland Garros in 2007.

Adrian McMurray 5.37pm: Victory in sight for Stosur, Zhang

Huge first-up service game for the second seeds, a 192km/h ace rounding it out. Both pairings trade service games — Stosur showing some real fight to hold — before Zhang produces a nifty volley to hand her and Stosur the break.

Zhang holds and they’re just one game away from victory, up 6-3 5-3.

Adrian McMurray 5.05pm: One down, one to go

Nervous moments for Stosur, as she produces three double faults to keep Babos/Mladenovic in the contest. But she serves it out, clinching the first 6-3. Brilliant fight on display.

Adrian McMurray 4.54pm: Another break

What about this — Stosur/Zhang have broken again! The second seeds are on the ropes now in the first … the Aussie now serving for the set at 5-3.

Adrian McMurray 4.49pm: Momentum shifts to Stosur, Zhang

Stosur holds her serve in a game that steadies the ship. Then, down 15-40, they rally to get back on serve! Lovely work from the Aussie at the net to bring her team back into the contest. They hold, now up 4-3. The momentum has shifted!

Adrian McMurray 4.32pm: Stosur, Zhang do it tough

A marathon 21-point first game in the women’s doubles final, with Stosur/Zhang saving four break points to hold serve. Babos/Mladenovic do it a bit easier, but the Australian-Chinese pairing can’t replicate their first-game heroics in the third, saving two break points before their opponents grab a crucial break.

They hold their serve, and there’s a lot for Stosur/Zhang to do from here, down 1-3.

3.55pm: Women’s doubles final imminent

Not long to go now before Stosur and Zhang vie for the women’s doubles title. Just quietly, the players’ area at Melbourne park looks … incredible.

Debbie Schipp 12pm: Today’s schedule

Here’s the schedule of play for day 12 of the Australian Open Tennis Championship at Melbourne Park (prefix denotes seeding, all times AEDT).

Semi-finals ROD LAVER ARENA: Not before 4pm Samantha Stosur (AUS)/Shuai Zhang (CHN) v 2-Timea Babos (HUN)/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA). Not before 7.30pm 1-Novak Djokovic (SRB) v 28-Lucas Pouille (FRA).

11.50am: Stosur’s score to settle

Samantha Stosur is using today’s Australian Open women’s doubles final to settle two scores — one 13 years in the making and one from her last grand slam outing.

Stosur will team with Zheng Shuai to tackle reigning champions and second seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic in the decider.

The last time she played off for an Australian Open title was in 2006, when she paired with Lisa Raymond in the women’s doubles.

“We were a set and 5-2 or 5-3 (up) and 40-15. And lost,” said Stosur.

She and Shuai are also out for revenge against Babos and Mladenovic: the Hungarian-French pair beat them in the semi-finals of last year’s US Open.

Meanwhile Australian John Peers and partner Henri Kontinen of Finland are just one win away from claiming a second Australian Open men’s doubles title.

The No 12 seeds will play Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the final on Sunday. — AAP

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-2019-day-12-live-action/news-story/9a602f2b67ded0fc8be85294139f71de