Melbourne, Jan 27: With a record-breaking 27th consecutive win in Melbourne against Tommy Paul, Novak Djokovic entered into his 10th Australian Open final on Friday (January 27).
Djokovic has never lost either a semi-final or a final at the season's first major.
On a humid evening at Rod Laver Arena, the Serbian overcame an early hiccup and went past the American by 7-5 6-1 6-2. It was the maiden Grand Slam semifinal for Paul.
With his win, Djokovic eclipsed the Andre Agassi win streak he had tied with a last-eight defeat of Andrey Rublev.
Djokovic will now take on Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final on Sunday (January 29) which marks his 33rd Grand Slam final. He's equalled Serena Williams for second on the all-time leaderboard.
If Djokovic continues his trend of never losing an Australian Open final he will also end up lifting his 22nd major title and equal Rafael Nadal. Nadal - who bowed out early in the tournament has 22 Grand Slam titles to his name.
Australian Open: Tsitsipas seeks first career grand slam after booking spot in the final
Djokovic didn't just win another semifinal at the Australian Open but he also did in straight sets, making it four in a row.
The last player to grab a set was Roger Federer in 2016. And Paul Goldstein was the last US player to topple Djokovic at the Australian Open - not including a retirement - in 2006.
Back then, Djokovic lost in the opening round for the second straight time. Hard to believe given his current success. Djokovic holds a commanding 10-2 record against Tsitsipas, including winning the last nine and all four - conceding one set - in 2022.
When they met in the 2021 French Open final, Djokovic had to overturn a two-set deficit. The winner of the final on Sunday (January 29) night also bags the No.1 ranking.
Djokovic - who is already a nine-time singles champion in Melbourne - won his first title here back in 2008.
"I have a pretty vivid and strong imagination, but even I don't think I imagined it would turn out this way," he said during his on-court interview on Rod Laver Arena.
"Super blessed and grateful, I'm trying to cherish and marvel in every moment. Without my family, without my team, these things wouldn't be possible.
"You're by yourself, all eyes are on you, you take responsibility, you take credit, but you have to give credit where it's due and that's to the team who live with me day by day in good and bad moments. This is as much their success as it is mine."
Only Rafael Nadal is the other player in the history of the game to have won double-digit titles at a single slam. Nadal has done it at French Open.
(With agency inputs)
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