IT was a battle of two familiar foes yesterday when Novak Djokovic met Roger Federer in one of the men’s singles semifinals at the 2016 Australian Open. The two players came on court for their 45th career meeting, tied at 22 each.

Djokovic won their immediate previous match at the ATP Tour Finals in London last year.

In this Australian Open semi-final match, Federer won the toss and elected to receive and so Djokovic opened with a sliced service ace and went on to take the opening game at love.

Federer started the second game with a similar sliced serve that got him his only point in the game he lost in an early service break. Djokovic held to go up 3-0. Federer held his serve and got close to deuce in the fifth but shut the door to lead 4-1.

Failing to get a first serve in, Federer lost the sixth game and his opponent took serve to win the first set in 22 minutes.

Serving first in the second set, Federer raised the speed and delivered an ace. He got all first serves in and saved a break point before holding to a loud ovation. Djokovic held but broke Federer in the third game. It was a continuation of the same pattern of first serves slightly missing the line and shots that should be winners landing in the tip of the net or slightly wide.

Second break and Djokovic was up 4-1, retrieving impossible shots that would have won points.

What must one do to win a point off Novak? Serving at 1-5, Federer faced the prospect of another loss, but he survived to break points and secured the game on the only first serve he got in at 19 kph.

In the eighth game, Djokovic was quickly up 40-0 and clinched the game and set when a Federer backhand sailed way over the baseline. (34 minutes.)

Federer won his serve to take the opening game in the third, and the crowd was ecstatic.

In the third game, Federer’s first serve clicked and he fired a 205-kph ace followed by a 197 that forced a weak return from Djokovic, which he put it away. Another fast serve got him game point for his first lead in a set.

In the fifth game, an uncharacteristic Djokovic shot into net. Then 30-0, but Federer missed a volley.

Djokovic ran down a drop volley to flick it crosscourt for a winner to reach break point. A determined net play earned Federer a deuce and he got the game.

In the eighth game, Federer had his first break opportunities when Djokovic fell behind 15-40 but he saved them all. There were three exchanges of advantage points but Federer won the game after chasing down a drop volley and flicking it past Djokovic. He consolidated the lead by winning his serve.

At the beginning of the fourth set, there was an inkling of a possible change of tide, when a net cord favoured Federer on the first point followed by a Djokovic shot into the white part of the net.

Although down love-30, Djokovic leveled and took the game. Federer delivered an ace in taking the second, but Djokovic won the fourth without dropping a point.

Djokovic won on his service to take the seventh game.

Serving the level, Federer fell behind love-15 when Djokovic scrambled to a ball far to his right and managed to get it back cross-court for a winner.

At 30-40, a net-cord in favour of Djokovic handed him the break for a commanding 5-3 lead. Serving for the set and match, he did not concede a point as he won 6-3 in 40 minutes.

In the women’s semifinal match, Serena Williams faced fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Radwanska won the toss and chose to serve first. She won the first point when Serena missed an overhead smash, but not on the next as Serena put the ball away.

Serena netted her first service delivery and lost the first point but took the next three to win for a 2-0 lead.

In the third game, Radwanska double-faulted at game point, Serena held to lead 4-0. Although the Pole took the first point on her serve, she lost three to concede another break. Serena won her service game to clinch the set 6-0 over a period of 20 minutes.

Serena Williams’ dominance was challenged in the second set but she got an early break of Agnieszka’s serve in the third game. An ace serve kicked off the fourth game. Serena double-faulted to 30-15, but she hit a serve directly at her opponent, which got her the game for a 3-1 lead. Radwanska held to reduce the tally. Three forehand errors by Serena cost her the sixth game. Serving in the seventh, Radwanska won a long rally with a volley off a shot from Serena’s scramble run to pick up a drop shot.

Serena had a break point, but lost it on a backhand hit into the net, but she got the advantage on a backhand winner down the line.

It was cancelled by a deft volley by her opponent who took her serve to lead 4-3. An ace serve was challenged but confirmed on the sideline.

Another one led to two game points, which she held to level four games apiece. Radwanska led 40-15 but was forced to deuce by a powerful crosscourt backhand return. A volley winner got Serena the opportunity and service break.

Serving for the match, she sliced the ball wide for an ace to go up 15 love. She followed with another down the middle service line that was unsuccessfully challenged. At match point, she delivered a hard serve that caused a weak return, which she put away for a winner.

In the finals tomorrow, Serena will be chasing her seventh Australian Open when she faces German Angelique Kerber, who ended Johanna Konta’s golden run to win 7-5, 6-2.