Racquet Reactions: Djokovic downs Federer in four-set Aussie Open semi

When it comes to reaction time, Twitter may be Novak Djokovic's only rival. During his 45th career match against Roger Federer in the Australian Open semifinals, it took less than a minute for amateur video of this incredible point to surface:

That final Federer shot would make the score 3-4, 30-30 in the fourth set, and it would be the final point he would win. Djokovic, who sprinted through the first two sets in only 54 minutes, was the beneficary of a net-cord winner on the next point, then went on to break serve and hold at love for a 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory. The world No. 1 has now reached the final in his last 17 tournaments (with a 12-4 record) and advanced to his 19th career Grand Slam singles final. He'll go for his 11th major, and sixth Australian Open, against either Andy Murray or Milos Raonic.

Djokovic ended the match on a roll, but he began it with a rout. He won 22 of his first 25 first-serve points and 56 of the 93 points played in the first two sets. Federer was punished on his second serves and could not keep up with the artillery Djokovic had brought to bear. It brought to mind another athlete at the top of his game, basketball player Steph Curry.

After the first two sets mericfully came to an end, a stunning statistic was revealed.

Federer was none too pleased with his performance.

As was the case in his four-set losses to Djokovic at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, Federer made a mid-match push. At the time, it seemed like just getting to a fourth set would be a victory for the Swiss.

Leading 3-2, Federer needed four break chances to finally take a lead on Djokovic. He accomplished it by meeting and then exceeding Djokovic from the baseline, up at net, and with breathtaking court coverage and defense that belied his 34 years.

The fourth set brought us questions: Could Federer actually climb Mount Djokovic from two sets down? What other magic could these two wizards of Oz conjure? And, why was there a 10-minute delay to close the roof when it wasn't actually raining? (It would, eventually.)

The magic didn't run out for Federer, who contuned to strike deft volleys and remained aggressive off both wings, until Djokovic's aforementioned net-cord winner. It's hardly the reason he won this match, but it was a buzz kill for Federer and a boost for the Serb. Federer's wife Mirka summed it up:

And so the latest duel between Federer and Djokovic goes to the younger man, who now leads the series 23-22.