Novak Djokovic has ended the remarkable run of Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev with a straight-sets victory to reach a 9th Australian Open final, as fans returned to Melbourne Park following a 5-day lockdown.
Karatsev, the first man to reach the semi-finals on his Grand Slam debut, went toe-to-toe with the world number one in the first set, but lost a serve and eventually handed it over at 6-3.
The match then seemed to be over quickly in the second when Djokovic opened up a 5-1 lead, but then Karatsev broke the Serbian ace twice and clawed back to 5-4, still falling short of staging a comeback and lost it 6-4.
Karatsev retrieved another break at the start of the third set, however Djokovic raced away and sealed the match at 6-2 with an ace.
Joko is now only one win away from claiming a record-extending 9th title at Melbourne Park on Sunday, when he will battle either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev for the crown.
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