Djokovic thrashes Ferrer to reach Australian Open final

PanARMENIAN.Net - Defending champion Novak Djokovic thrashed David Ferrer to reach the Australian Open final and stay on course for a hat-trick of Melbourne titles, according to BBC Sport.

Djokovic had too much pace on the ground and off his strings for the Spaniard, winning 6-2 6-2 6-1 in one hour and 29 minutes.

"I played incredible tennis," he said. "I felt very confident and comfortable from the start. It was definitely one of the best performances I ever had in my career."

It was in marked contrast to last year's semi-final, when the Serbian had needed nearly five hours to see off Andy Murray.

Djokovic went on to win his third Australian title in 2012, and this year is trying to become the first man since the Open era began in 1968 to win it three times in a row. He can now enjoy a 48-hour rest until Sunday's final, awaiting the outcome of Jan 25 second semi-final between Murray and Roger Federer.

The beaten Ferrer admitted of the demolition job: "He play very, very good. I didn't have any chance to win tonight. All can I say is Novak was better in every moment than me." Djokovic added: "It can only do positive things to my confidence. Definitely at this stage of a tournament, playing semi-finals against the world number four, somebody that I have respect for, great competitor, and being able to perform as well as I did, it's incredible.

"I have a great feeling about myself on the court at this moment. Now I have two days off before the finals which gives me enough time to get ready, you know, and recover."