Djokovic derails Fedex

Serb ends defending champion Federers title run with straight sets defeat.

Novak Djokovic sensationally knocked Roger Federer out of the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday,leaving the defending champion without a Grand Slam title for the first time in eight years. The third seeds comprehensive 7-6 7/3,7-5,6-4 victory over the Swiss came with the 29-year-old was outplayed in a high-quality tussle on Rod Laver Arena,a day after Rafael Nadals injury-hastened exit ended the Spaniards bid for the Rafa Slam sweep of all four major titles.

He puts a lot of pressure on you,so I tried to stay to the last moment and really it was one of the best matches Ive played in a while, Djokovic said. I had to take my chances,in the second set I was a break up and in 20 minutes I was 5-2 down,so if I had lost that set God knows which direction the match would go.

Djokovics win leaves him facing either Britains Andy Murray or Spains David Ferrer in Sundays final,where mens tennis will have its first Grand Slam champion other than Nadal or Federer in three years.

The Serbian world No. 3,who also beat Federer in last years US Open semis,now has a golden chance to add to his lone Grand Slam title achieved in Melbourne in 2008 when he also bested the Swiss in the semis. Meanwhile,world No. 2. Federer lost his last remaining major title after a record 16-Slam streak which began with his first victory at Wimbledon in 2003,ending an era of unprecedented dominance.

Novak was the better player tonight,Ive got to accept that and move on, the four-time winner said. Its not the end any way8230; I wish I could have won here for the fifth time,but it was impossible tonight.

The impressive Djokovic took control of the first-set tiebreaker and recovered from a double service break in the second to take a two-set lead over the rattled Federer,before gaining the crucial break late in the third.

Murrays best chance

But fifth seed Murray will not be underestimating Nadals conqueror David Ferrer when they meet in Fridays semi-final,despite the Spaniards cause being aided by an injury to his opponent. Ferrers 6-4,6-2,6-3 win over world No. 1 Nadal came mainly as a result of a hamstring tweak suffered by his compatriot after just three games.

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However,the seventh seed remains unbeaten in 2011,having won a warm-up tournament in Auckland,and even a fully fit Nadal would have had his hands full. Davids playing a fantastic tournament, Nadal told reporters. If he keeps playing like this,he has a good chance. I would love him to win the tournament. Hes a fantastic guy and a good friend.

Murray,who also lost to Federer in the 2008 US Open final,played arguably the tournaments best tennis in blowing Austrias Juergen Melzer off court in the fourth round. He dropped his first set of the years first grand slam against Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov in the quarter-final but Murray never looked troubled. The danger for the 23-year-old Scot,bidding to become the first British man to win a grand slam title since Fred Perry in 1936,is that Ferrer will give him a physical pounding.

Iron man Ferrer takes no prisoners,hitting bombs off both wings,and is one of the fittest players in the mens game,with a 3-2 career record over Murray. The Briton thrashed Ferrer 6-2,6-2 in their round-robin match at the World Tour Finals but Ferrer will have nothing to lose in only his second grand slam semi-final.

He is likely to come out swinging,drilling balls to the corners,pushing Murray to his limit and daring him to slug it out toe-to-toe,which the Briton can ill afford to do. Its just another match, said Ferrer.