- World No 1 faces Medvedev or Tsitsipas in final
- Karatsev beaten in straight sets 6-3 6-4 6-2
Novak Djokovic ended the remarkable run of qualifier Aslan Karatsev to reach a ninth Australian Open final. The world No 1, who has won the title on each of the eight previous occasions he has reached the semi-finals in Melbourne, claimed his first straight-sets win since the first round, beating the world number 114 6-3 6-4 6-2.
It was a much-needed comfortable evening for Djokovic after the dramas of his tournament so far, including an abdominal injury suffered in a third-round five-setter against Taylor Fritz and a nail-biting victory over Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
Related: Novak Djokovic beats Aslan Karatsev in Australian Open men’s semi-final – live reaction!