Djokovic crushes Pouille to set up a blockbuster final against Nadal

MELBOURNE—What you don’t want in your first Grand Slam semi is to be broken in your opening service game. Losing the first set 6-0 against an opponent who makes one unforced error also isn’t particularly helpful. And really, alas, it was ostensibly a match point when, in the second set of their Australian Open semifinal, Lucas Pouille served to Novak Djokovic at 1-2, 30-40—and, all too sadly, double-faulted.

“Serving better would help me a little bit because I didn't serve really well,” said Pouille, who in the first two sets only got in 50 percent of his first serves. “But when you have someone on the return who is putting the ball all the time very long and very deep in the court, you are going to try to go big on the first serve, then make a lot of mistakes.”

In a match he considered one of his best Australian Open efforts, Djokovic committed a mere five unforced errors and won, 6-0, 6-2, 6-2. The six-time Australian Open champion now hopes to break a tie with Roger Federer and Roy Emerson for the most men’s singles titles.

“Obviously today was a perfect match for me from the first to the last point,” said Djokovic. “I executed everything that I intended to and even more than I have expected.”

These past two evenings have offered dramatic contrasts that reveal much about Djokovic and his final-round opponent, Rafael Nadal. To steal Nadal’s argot, last night he inflicted significant damage on final-four newcomer Stefanos Tsitsipas. That match had lasted an hour and 46 minutes.

Though tonight’s slaughter was only 23 minutes shorter, in texture and tone it was, as the Aussies like to describe a massive contrast between two people, chalk and cheese. Nadal-Tsitsipas had happened on a warm, sticky night, conditions similar to Florida—a fitting, oven-like milieu for the warrior known as Rafa to engage in his suffocating brand of tennis. Djokovic and Pouille took place on a tranquil, humidity-free evening, similar to a temperate California night. Picture Djokovic in a cardigan, inviting Pouille to come over for drinks.

Djokovic and Pouille had never played one another. Would Djokovic feel nervous against an underdog? Would Pouille swing freely against the favorite? Forget it. Right from the start, Djokovic delivered his blows with exemplary precision. Even more than the artistic Federer or the tenacious Nadal, Djokovic at his best shows how simple tennis is: Hit the ball deep and crosscourt most of the time. Occasionally go down the line. Rinse and repeat. Dare your opponent to come up with something else. Given that for the most part, Pouille is a Djokovic clone—contemporary tennis, also practiced by the likes of Kei Nishikori, David Goffin, Borna Coric—there was little he had in his repertoire that could take the Serb off the range.

No matter what the skill level, matchups are one of the most fascinating aspects of tennis. Tsitsipas had been disconsolate after his loss. Pouille was as calm as if he’d just come back from a meeting with his accountant. Tsitsipas felt he had no answers for handling the Spaniard. Not Pouille, who had beaten Nadal at the 2016 US Open and, like Djokovic, felt comfortable absorbing Nadal’s heavy topspin forehand with his compact, two-handed backhand.

In contrast, Pouille was deeply troubled by Djokovic—literally.

“Novak is playing like really, really fast, really low,” he said. “He's close to the baseline. Always he has good placement in any situation. Even in defense, he's going to put the ball really deep maybe 10, 20 centimeters from the baseline. You will always have a tough shot to make. That's kind of difficult.”

So for the 53rd time, Djokovic and Nadal will play one another. If you like a tennis version of a 1,000-page novel, tuck in with these two. Chapter 52 of When Novak Met Rafa took place in the semis of Wimbledon, a two-day effort that lasted five hours and 15 minutes and was won by Djokovic, 10-8 in the fifth. The only time they’ve played here was even longer. Seven years ago in the finals, seven minutes short of six hours, Djokovic also won, 7-5 in the fifth.

Said Djokovic, “Those kind of encounters have also made me the player I am today, without a doubt. These are the kind of matches that you live for, finals of slams, playing the greatest rivals at their best. What more can you ask for? This is where you want to be.”

For all the charisma of Nadal-Federer as a rivalry, Djokovic-Nadal has long been much tighter. Djokovic currently leads, 27-25. There is also a visceral intensity to Djokovic-Nadal battles different than Nadal versus Federer. The Rafa and Roger Show is reminiscent of Bjorn Borg versus John McEnroe, a style contrast of geniuses who share affection for one another. For a good many years, these two ruled the world. Then came the insurgent, in the form of a skilled and confident Serb who broke up the duopoly and in time, built his own empire.

Djokovic-Nadal summons memories of McEnroe and Jimmy Connors—two pitbulls, in a scrape for that single bone. Last night, the 32-year-old Nadal explained how he has adapted his game as he has aged. Asked if he conducted himself similarly, the 31-year-old Djokovic counterpunched as if in a classic Nadal-Djokovic baseline rally.

Said Djokovic, “I have a slightly different approach: I adapt the age to the game. I don't feel at the moment that my body has any significant wear and tear that would compromise my game. My game is pretty much the same…I will not change anything for the moment.”

Kick off each day of the 2019 Australian Open with Tennis Channel Live, reviewing the day’s most important news and previewing the day’s biggest matches.

Follow the Australian Open all week long on Tennis Channel and TENNIS.com