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Australian Open 2020 Day 11 live: Novak Djokovic knocks off Roger Federer in straight sets

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has powered through to his eighth Australian Open final after taking care of Roger Federer in straight-sets.

Courtney Walsh and Tom Crystal
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after winning set point during his Men's Singles Semifinal match against Roger Federer. Picture: Getty
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after winning set point during his Men's Singles Semifinal match against Roger Federer. Picture: Getty
16 min read
7:17PMJanuary 30, 2020.
Updated 11:04PMJanuary 30, 2020

Live coverage of Day 11 of the 2020 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park. Ash Barty has lost her semi-final to Sofia Kenin; Garbine Muguruza has upset Simona Halep in the second semi. Novak Djokovic knocked out Roger Federer to advance to the final.

10.06pm: Djokovic proves too strong for Federer

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has powered through to his eighth Australian Open final after taking care of Roger Federer in straight-sets.

The world No.2 started slowly against the 20-time major winner, trailing 2-5 in the first set, but Djokovic recovered to win 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena in the pair’s 50th career meeting.

Federer entered their semi-final under an injury cloud on Thursday following his epic victory over Tennys Sandgren, but despite hanging in bravely, the 38-year- old Swiss legend was no match for the Serbian star.

9.30pm: Djokovic one set away from final

8.28pm: Djokovic takes the first set

Djokovic rises to the occasion and takes the first set from Federer 7-6(1).

Meanwhile, Roger Federer took a medical time out with a lower-back problem causing him concern.

7.12pm: Federer, Djokovic set for blockbuster

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – who have carved up 12 of the last 14 Australian Open titles between them – are about to begin their battle for a place in the final.

Djokovic, 32, leads 38-year-old Federer 26-23 in their head-to-head, and while the Serbian has moved serenely into the last four, Federer made it by the skin of his teeth.

He was two points from defeat against John Millman in the third round and, incredibly, saved seven match points in his quarter-final against Tennys Sandgren.

A groin problem during Federer’s miraculous escape against Sandgren could also hinder his chances of making it seven titles in Melbourne and stretching his record for Major wins to 21.

But Djokovic says Federer’s heroics against the 100th-ranked American are exactly why the 20-time Grand Slam winner is to be feared.

“What he did was amazing, he showed me he’s one of the best players of all time,” said Djokovic, who is targeting a record eighth title in Melbourne.

“I mean, he never gives up. When it matters the most, he’s focused and he plays his best tennis. He’s a great fighter.”

6.40pm: Unseeded Muguzura upsets Halep

A resurgent Garbine Muguruza has stormed into her first Australian Open final with a straight-sets win over fellow former world No.1 Simona Halep, AP reports.

The unseeded Spaniard beat Halep 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 in a brutal baseline duel played out in searing heat at Rod Laver Arena.

A former Wimbledon and French Open champion, Muguruza will play American Sofia Kenin in Saturday night’s final.

Incredibly, Muguruza beat Halep by the exact same scoreline as Kenin upset Australia’s world No.1 Ashleigh Barty in the first semi-final. And like Kenin, Muguzura fought back from 5-3 down in the second set to reel off four straight games and the match.

“I wasn’t thinking that I was down. I was thinking to keep going, at some point you will have your opportunity,” Muguruza said.

“I know I was facing Simona so I know it was going to be a hard match and I was just hanging in there and fighting with all the energy I had.”

Unseeded at a slam for the first time in almost six years, Muguruza arrived in Melbourne with modest expectations.

Little wonder she was keeping a lid on her emotions after progressing to her fourth major final.

“You start day by day. That’s what I was doing - each match at a time,” the 26-year-old said.

“I’m very excited to be in the final but it’s a long way to go and I have one more match on Saturday.”

5.50pm: Muguruza on top

Garbine Muguruza has taken the first set in a tie-breaker in her semi-final against Simona Halep, AP reports.

The unseeded Muguruza broke in the seventh game and fended off a break-point chance in the next to hold for a 5-3 lead. She was broken at love while serving for the set, then saved two set points in her next service game.

Fourth-seeded Halep had another two set points in the tie-breaker before Muguruza clinched it 7-6 (8). Wimbledon champion Halep was given a code violation for spiking her racket into the court at the end of the set as the temperature hit 39C. The winner will meet No.14 Sofia Kenin in Saturday’s final.

— AP

5.30pm: Video nasty cruels Barty

Ash Barty was hardly at her best today, especially at the most crucial moments, perhaps burdened by the task of trying to become the first Australian woman since 1980 to get to the final of the country’s grand slam.

Apart from missing a pair of set points in each set, the world No.1 blew a golden opportunity to challenge a Sofia Kenin backhand that would have given her a set point in the opener on the American’s serve. Instead, Kenin held serve and went on to win the tie-break.

Barty looked ruefully at the baseline after the point, but by then it was too late to challenge.

“Unfortunately, couldn’t quite scrap enough to get over the line,” Barty said after the match. “Just didn’t play the biggest points well enough to win.”

5.05pm: Will Federer be fit?

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic — who have carved up 12 of the last 14 Australian Open titles between them — will play for a place in the final, AFP reports.

Djokovic, 32, leads 38-year-old Federer 26-23 in their head-to-head, and while the Serbian has moved serenely into the last four, Federer made it by the skin of his teeth.

He was two points from defeat against John Millman in the third round and, incredibly, saved seven match points in his quarter-final against Tennys Sandgren.

A groin problem during Federer’s miraculous escape against Sandgren could also hinder his chances of making it seven titles in Melbourne and stretching his record for major wins to 21.

But Djokovic says Federer’s heroics against the 100th-ranked American are exactly why the 20-time grand slam winner is to be feared.

“What he did was amazing, he showed me he’s one of the best players of all time,” said Djokovic, who is targeting a record eighth title in Melbourne.

“I mean, he never gives up. When it matters the most, he’s focused and he plays his best tennis. He’s a great fighter.”

— AFP

Courtney Walsh 4.20pm: Barty’s dream ends

The Australian Open dream of 2020 is over for world No 1 Ash Barty after she was upset by American Sofia Kenin.

It is a case of an opportunity lost for the Australian champion, who was unable to clinch critical points when in a position to seize the initiative when beaten 7-6 (6) 7-5.

A stunned Sofia Kenin after beating Barty. Picture: Getty Images
A stunned Sofia Kenin after beating Barty. Picture: Getty Images

The 23-year-old looked to be on the verge of levelling the match when holding two set points at 5-4 in the second set, only for her rival to reel off eight points in succession to turn the semi-final on its head.

Barty had earlier held two set points in the first set tie-breaker but was unable to convert those chances when denied in the biggest match of her career on her home soil to date.

This was in part due to the sustained excellence of her 21-year-old rival, a feisty competitor who possesses a quality mix of defensive attributes and quality ball-striking.

The American had beaten her in Canada in one of their four outings last year and played with conviction on Thursday.

Kenin, who dropped her racquet in delight after a Barty forehand flew long on the final point, was understandably delighted after reaching the first grand slam final of her career.

“She is such a tough player. I know she is playing really amazing,” she said. “I am so speechless. I have dreamed about this match since I was five years old. I have worked so hard to get here.”

Barty battles in the second set. Picture: AAP
Barty battles in the second set. Picture: AAP

It was Kenin’s ability to string together stirring runs at the tail-end of both sets that proved critical to her upset triumph.

The American claimed the last four points of the opening set tie-breaker, saving two set points in the process, to seize the advantage.

Then, with Barty on the verge of levelling, she went on a significant tear late in the second set to storm to success.

It may appear strange given the result, but the Queenslander had the upper-hand for much of the match, even in the opening set that she ended up losing.

Kenin defeats Barty in shock Aus Open semi-final upset

The statistical analysis of that set had her in front in almost every category, but she was unable to seize break points when leading 3-2, nor the set points in the tie-breaker.

Up until the moment it all fell apart when the WTA Tour Finals champion was serving at 5-4 in the second set, she was yet to face a break point.

But her first serve when missing in the latter stages of the match and that placed her under significant pressure.

Kenin can’t believe she’s won. Picture: AFP
Kenin can’t believe she’s won. Picture: AFP

The Australian will rue netting a drive forehand volley when in a dominant position while facing a break point in that game.

The impact it had was dramatic. Riding an adrenaline surge, Kenin careered through her own service game to move to 6-5, which placed the Australian under further pressure.

Barty was able to save one match point with a blistering forehand winner but ultimately could not defend well enough on the next in a shock loss.

“She came up with some really great shots. She was not going to give it up to me,” Kenin said. “There is a reason why she is the world No.1 but I am so thankful for this.”

Kenin will play the winner of a clash between Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza, who are both Wimbledon and French Open champions.

4pm: Kenin wins it!

Ash Barty drops serve to hand Sofia Kenin victory 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 in 1hr 45min. The end came quickly there, after Barty led 5-3 and served for the match at 5-4.

3.53pm: Kenin clings on

Barty coughs up two set points while serving for the set at 5-4 and isn’t able to find a first serve when it matters on the way to losing her serve. To cap it off, she puts an easy overhead over the side to allow Kenin to level at 5-5.

3.41pm: Barty up a break

Ash Barty breaks Kenin’s serve to go up 2-1 as she ups the pace on her groundstrokes. The world No.1 is going to go down swinging if she loses this semi-final. Kenin recovers somewhat but Barty leads 5-3 in the second. She has racked up 30 unforced errors to Kenin’s 21.

Courtney Walsh 3.20pm: Barty in a battle

American talent Sofia Kenin is in a strong position to end Ash Barty’s Australian Open bid after claiming the opening set in their semi-final.

The Australian champion had a couple of opportunities at different stages to wrest control of the first set, including two set points in the tie-breaker, but her rival rose to the occasion.

Kenin was able to string together four straight points at the end of the set to seize the opening set 7-6 (6).

The semi-final started with heat restrictions in place, with the stress gauge worsening as the match progressed. The temperature in Melbourne is now 38C.

It had the impact of making Rod Laver Arena livelier than it had been at any other stage through the tournament, with the court and ball speed quicker.

Sofia Kenin gets fired up in the first set. Picture: Getty Images
Sofia Kenin gets fired up in the first set. Picture: Getty Images

Kenin has been far from overawed in her maiden grand slam final appearance, though both players showed some signs of tension at different stages in a tight opening set.

As a result, the shotmaking was scarcely breathtaking, though both women certainly had their moments, with Kenin particularly strong in the latter stages of the tie-breaker.

As Barty had predicted, the 14th seeded American tried to dictate points from the middle of the baseline.

Barty had three opportunities to snare the first service break of the semi-final when leading 3-2.

But those chances went begging, the initial two when she netted two sliced backhands while trying to manoeuvre her rival into testing positions on the court.

The reigning Roland Garros champion demonstrated good sportsmanship when calling “not up” for a ball she failed to run down while leading 5-4 in the first set.

She then found herself in an awkward position when serving at 5-all.

Ash Barty cools off against Sofia Kenin. Picture: Getty Images
Ash Barty cools off against Sofia Kenin. Picture: Getty Images

Barty started the game by missing two forehands — one to either side of the court — to give Kenin a half-opportunity, but some precise serving saved the Australian.

The tension continued through the tie-breaker, with both players missing shots they would usually make.

But a mistake with an attempt at an off-forehand winner allowed Kenin to level at 4-all, Barty doubled-down on the shot.

Showing great conviction, she clubbed a forehand winner down the line and then drove another on return to bring up two set points.

The first was squandered when the WTA Tour Finals champion netted a sliced backhand and the second was wrenched away through some brilliant shotmaking from Kenin.

The American then used tremendous court coverage to run down a drop shot and then push back to a position where she was able to drive a forehand volley winner off a Barty lob to bring up a set point.

When Barty netted a forehand on a second serve, it was Kenin with the ascendancy.

3.13pm: Kenin closes out first set

The American saves two set points and snatches the first-set tie-break 8-6 after 59 minutes. Barty led 4-2 and 6-4 but was unable to close it out, and a forehand into the net gave Kenin the opener.

3.03pm: Tie-break

Sofia Kenin toughs it out to hold serve and force a tie-breaker. Barty misses a trick at 30-30 when she fails to challenge a Kenin backhand that looks close — and HawkEye shows is long. It would have given Barty a set point.

Rebel Wilson watches the women's singles semi-final between Ash Barty and Sofia Kenin. Picture: Getty Images
Rebel Wilson watches the women's singles semi-final between Ash Barty and Sofia Kenin. Picture: Getty Images

2.58pm: Close call

A big hold for the top seed takes the score to 6-5 in the opening set. Barty falls behind 0-30 but uses the swinging wide serve to the first court to great effect. She finishes off with an ace to win a game that lasts more than five minutes.

2.47pm: Serving notice

The Australian holds serve comfortably again to go up 5-4 in the opening set. Barty has won a staggering 92 per cent of points on her first serve, although she’s landing only 50 per cent of first serves in.

2.40pm: Barty leads 4-3

Ash Barty holds serve to love for a second time in the match to take the lead again. Kenin saved three break points in the sixth game to prevent the Australian gaining control of set one. Barty’s unforced error count is already in double figures.

Sofia Kenin on the stretch against Ash Barty. Picture: Getty Images
Sofia Kenin on the stretch against Ash Barty. Picture: Getty Images

2.28pm: Dealing aces

Incredible serving from Ash Barty, as she sends down four aces — count them, four — in the fifth game to go up 3-2.

2.23pm: Barty leads 2-1

Barty holds serve to love — with the help of two booming aces — to go in front.

2.20pm: Both players on the board

The Australian holds serve after a couple of unforced errors from Kenin allow her opponent get on the board. The American follows suit in the next game to make it 1-1.

2.10pm: Barty, Kenin on court

Top seed Ash Barty and 14th seed Sofia Kenin are on court as they prepare for the first women’s singles semi-final. They’re wearing similar outfits but Barty has the full cap on, while the American is shaded by a visor cap. (For those watching from a distance).

2pm: The heat is on

The temperature at Melbourne Park is sitting on 37C, heading for a top of 38C. The roof on Rod Laver Arena will stay open for the Ash Barty-Sofia Kenin semi-final. The tournament’s extreme heat policy uses a heat stress scale that factors in air temperature, radiant heat, wind speed and humidity.

Max Purcell and Luke Saville celebrate after winning their doubles match against Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek. Picture: Getty Images
Max Purcell and Luke Saville celebrate after winning their doubles match against Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek. Picture: Getty Images

1.35pm: Aussie pair eye payday

Australian wildcards Luke Saville and Max Purcell are through to the doubles final after beating 4th seeds Filip Polasek and Ivan Dodig 6-7 (9-7) 6-3 6-4. They’ll face 11th seeds Rajeev Ram (US) and Joe Salisbury (Britain) in the final. The local duo will take home at least $380,000 and $760,000 if they win the decider.

12.45pm: Cathy Freeman a Barty fan

Even Australia’s most celebrated Indigenous athlete, Cathy Freeman, is in awe of Ash Barty at this Australian Open, AAP reports.

 
 

Barty’s barnstorming run to the competition’s semi-finals leaves her just two matches away from becoming the first Australian woman since Chris O’Neil in 1978 to win the Open on home soil.

“I can confidently say on behalf of Aussies and particularly the Indigenous community we’re very proud of her,” Freeman said at Thursday’s Inspirational Lunch.

Freeman’s defining gold medal victory in the 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics proved an inspiration to young girls, athletes and the Indigenous community. Barty, a proud Ngaragu woman, is on the verge of making her own mark on the Australian sporting landscape.

“I think the impact that she can have on everybody but particularly young girls is quite profound,” Freeman said.

“Her achievements and her story will get onto the psyche and into the blood of so many young girls around not just Australia, but the world, it’s very cool.”

— AAP

11.50am: Mac doubles down on Court criticism

Tennis legend and commentator John McEnroe has taken another shot at Australian great Margaret Court over her religious beliefs.

McEnroe and Martina Navratilova were forced to apologise for staging an on-court protest during a legends doubles match this week over Court ’s stance on gay marriage.

The pair unfurled a banner calling for Margaret Court Arena to be renamed “Evonne Goolagong Arena”.

John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova stage their protest this week. Picture: Twitter
John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova stage their protest this week. Picture: Twitter

But McEnroe used an appearance on Channel 9’s Today show to double down on his opposition to Court’s conservative views.

“What she said in the past, her comments, to me go over the line of what should be acceptable, in my opinion,” McEnroe said.

When asked if he had a message for Court, he said: “I would say to Margaret that ‘you are a tremendous champion. You should be perfectly entitled to your beliefs’.

“But I would say that (she needs) a little bit more understanding about each and every person’s, you know, the way they live their lives.

“You know, I grew up a Catholic and went to church every week and it was all about guilt. You know, it just made – you know, it made me the way I was.

“It’s not easy. So we all have to be more tolerant. You know, there are some things written thousands of years ago, maybe we can take it with a grain of salt. I can take it with a grain of salt. I can’t remember yesterday.”

10.50am: Order of play

The schedule for Rod Laver Arena on Thursday:

(x denotes seeding):

Semi-finals — 2pm: Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) v Sofia Kenin (US x14); 3.30pm: Simona Halep (ROM x4) v Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 7.30pm: Roger Federer (SUI x3) v Novak Djokovic (SRB x2)

— AFP

10am: Sorry, not sorry ... sport’s most insincere gesture

It might just be the most insincere gesture in sports: A tennis player apologises by raising a hand after a ball clips the net tape and makes it over, accidentally winning — or eventually helping to win — a point.

Happens all the time, on courts all around the world, from public parks to the pros, all the way up to Grand Slam tournaments such as the Australian Open, where Dominic Thiem signalled that he was sorry after at least five such net cords, as they’re often called, during his quarterfinal upset of Rafael Nadal last night.

Yet everyone, at every level, knows full well there is no real remorse, no matter what the body language says.

“Typical ‘Sorry, not sorry’,” two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova said with a laugh after winning a match last week.

“I will put it to you this way: When you go to a store in the United States, and they ask you, ‘How are you?’ — do they care how you are? But you’re still polite and you answer,” the Russian said. “This is the same thing: You’re polite and you put your hand up.”

Wim Fissette, 2019 Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka’s new coach, offered another analogy for these apologies.

“I don’t think it’s necessary. But is it necessary to say ‘Bless you’ if someone sneezes? It’s more or less the same,” said Fissette, who also has worked with Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber, among others. “If you sneeze, and the person next to you doesn’t say, ‘Bless you’, it’s kind of weird, right?”

Japan’s Naomi Osaka warms up with her coach Wim Fissette last week. Picture: AP
Japan’s Naomi Osaka warms up with her coach Wim Fissette last week. Picture: AP

Just as tennis is filled with different playing styles — baseline bashers or purveyors of varying speeds and spins, big servers or masters of the return, etc — it allows for varying ways to express regrets. Or pretend to, anyway.

The most common: The double-hand, palm-up-plus-racket-up, which 2019 US Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev did after winning a game in the Australian Open’s first round against Frances Tiafoe, who rolled his eyes and dropped his racket to demonstrate the degree of disbelief at his own misfortune.

Then there’s the simple racket raise, which 2019 champion Novak Djokovic deployed in this year’s first-round victory over Jan-Lennard Struff.

Or there’s the single-hand wave, which Sofia Kenin did in the first set of her fourth-round win over 15-year-old Coco Gauff, before adding a twist: Kenin lowered that hand, balled it into a fist and furtively shook it to celebrate. Gotta, um, hand it to the 21-year-old American for serving up what felt in the moment like some on-court honesty.

I’ll take it ... Sofia Kenin pumps her fist during her victory over Coco Gauff. Picture: AAP
I’ll take it ... Sofia Kenin pumps her fist during her victory over Coco Gauff. Picture: AAP

Asked earlier in the tournament how she would react if an opponent didn’t show any trace of guilt after a net cord, Kenin said: “I wouldn’t like it, but it wouldn’t really upset me. It doesn’t make that big of a difference.”

Sometimes, there is just no motion of contrition whatsoever. At the 2018 Miami Open, for example, Medvedev got mad at Stefanos Tsitsipas for what he said were a couple of breaches of tennis etiquette, including: “You hit (a) let and you don’t say sorry. You think you are a good kid?” And at Wimbledon in 2007 — two years before their far more famous encounter at the French Open — Nadal criticised Robin Soderling for fist-pumping instead of feigning penitence over a favourable net cord.

Soderling’s retort at the time: “Why should I say I’m sorry when it’s the happiest moment of my life?”

Steve Johnson, who lost to Roger Federer last week, said he generally only engages in the perfunctory pantomiming when he is playing against a friend, such as fellow Americans John Isner, Sam Querrey or Dennis Kudla. “Or occasionally Roger,” Johnson added. “But otherwise, hey, I hit a let-cord winner? So be it. Bummer. Lucky for me. And it’s going to come back the other way. So I don’t need to apologise. Nobody actually means it. Do whatever you want: Say it; don’t say it. If somebody apologises to me, it’s not like they’re going to play it over.” So why does (nearly) everyone do it?

“I was taught as a kid that you have to say sorry,” two-time major champion Simona Halep said. “I’ve thought about this, and I don’t really think it’s fair you have to say sorry; you’re happy you won the point. But I think it’s automatic now.”

Additional reporting: Agencies

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