Once Novak Djokovic reaches the semi-finals of the Australian Open, he has proven himself tougher than ever.

After defeating six-time champion Roger Federer in Thursday evening’s semi-final, the Serbian is now 15-0 once he reaches the last four at the season’s first Grand Slam. On Sunday, he will have a chance to lift his eighth trophy in Melbourne, extending his own all-time record.

Most Australian Open Titles (All-Time)

“I feel comfortable and confident playing in Australia,” Djokovic said after his first-round win against Tatsuma Ito. “[The] history of my results here has been very positive.”

Not only has Djokovic won in the late stages of the Australian Open, but he has dominated. The World No. 2, who will return to No. 1 on Monday if he captures the title, has only lost 10 sets in his 15 matches from the semi-finals on Down Under. What is perhaps more impressive is who he beat in those clashes.

Twelve of Djokovic’s 15 semi-final or final wins at this event have come against players ranked inside the world’s Top 5 at the time. The only exceptions are the 2008 final, in which he defeated then-World No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2015 championship against then-World No. 6 Andy Murray, and last year’s semi-finals in which he dismissed then-World No. 31 Lucas Pouille.

Djokovic has only lost five sets in seven finals at the Australian Open, with three of his championship triumphs coming in straight sets. The 32-year-old has a chance to make even more history on Sunday, when he faces Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic’s Longest Sets-Won Streaks In Melbourne

The Serbian’s personal best number of consecutive sets won at this major is 18, when he won the trophy for the first time in 2008. Djokovic has won 16 straight sets this year, going back to the final set of his first-round victory against powerful German Jan-Lennard Struff. So if the second seed does not lose a set on Sunday, he will have captured the title by claiming his final 19 sets.

It would also be the third time Djokovic has won multiple Australian Open titles in a row (2011-13, 2015-16). His longest winning streak here stretched from 2011-14, when he emerged the victor in 25 straight matches, ultimately losing in the 2014 quarter-finals in five sets against eventual champion Stan Wawrinka.

It’s been a successful fortnight for Team Djokovic at the Australian Open, as seven-time champion Novak Djokovic is now only one victory away from lifting his eighth trophy in Melbourne. But the Serbian hasn’t been the only member of his team to have a big tournament.

On Monday, the International Tennis Hall of Fame revealed in Melbourne that Goran Ivanisevic, one of Djokovic’s coaches, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame this July.

“I’m really glad to see him enter the Hall of Fame this year. He is a great friend. He has been a mentor for many years to me,” Djokovic said. “I’ve seen him on the Tour, of course, when he was finishing his career. Also the past seven or eight years I’ve seen him a lot as a coach of other players. He’s a great guy. [We] speak the same language, come from very similar cultures. He was one of my heroes growing up. We go back since I was 12 years old. I do share some really nice moments with him throughout my upbringing and my evolution as a tennis player.”

Djokovic brought Ivanisevic onboard at Wimbledon last year, joining Marian Vajda. Djokovic triumphed at SW19, and also won titles in Tokyo and Paris last season before leading Serbia to ATP Cup glory to begin 2020. The World No. 2 feels Ivanisevic has been a valuable member of his team.

“He brings obviously a little bit of a different style of coaching than Marian, but they are working synergistically very well. They complement each other,” Djokovic said. “Goran, his philosophy has always been less is more, kind of giving the right information to the player, then understanding how a player can actually benefit from that. He likes to simplify things. It’s working well.”

Ivanisevic, who climbed as high as No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, won 22 titles and 599 matches at tour-level, with his biggest triumph coming at Wimbledon in 2001 as a wild card.

“He has been a significant part of my growth as a tennis player,” Djokovic said. “To have him in my corner, in my box, is really a great honour and great pleasure.”

Seven-time Australian Open champion Djokovic showed good form to start the year at the inaugural ATP Cup, where he won all six of his singles matches and the two doubles matches he played to lead Serbia to the title. The question was, could the World No. 2 carry that level into Melbourne for the season’s first Grand Slam?

Djokovic has answered that with a resounding ‘Yes’, losing only one set en route to the championship match following a straight-sets victory against 20-time major titlist Roger Federer on Thursday in the semi-finals.

“I’m pleased with the way I’ve been feeling and playing. I thought [the] ATP Cup went really well for me, got a lot of hours spent on the court, singles and doubles. It was a great lead-up for [the] Australian Open. Obviously got a lot of positive energy from that competition,” Djokovic said. “I dropped only one set so far up to the finals. I have two days of no matches right now, which actually is really good. It gives me more time to recuperate and gather all the necessary energy for the final.”

Leading into the pair’s 50th ATP Head2Head clash, there was uncertainty surrounding Federer’s condition, as the Swiss admitted to not feeling at his best physically during a grueling five-set quarter-final in which he saved seven match points against Tennys Sandgren. Djokovic fell behind immediately, trailing 1-4 and 0/40 on his serve in the first set before turning the match around.

“I was trying to focus on myself, been told by the team as well to prioritise my own things rather than really thinking about how he’s feeling or how he’s going to move, how he’s going to play. But it’s easier said than done,” Djokovic said. “When I was on the court at the beginning, I was really paying too much attention on his movement, what he was really doing. I wasn’t in the right balance. I wasn’t hitting the ball. I wasn’t executing the shots the way I wanted.

“After clinching the first set, which was crucial, I think I relaxed more and kind of started swinging through the ball better. I felt more in control of the match in the second and third set.”

Federer said after the match he got a scan following his quarter-final and did not practise on his off day Wednesday. But Djokovic knew regardless of Federer’s condition that he would face a tough test.

“It’s never easy to play Roger. I mean, obviously he was hurting. You could see it in his movement. Respect to him for trying his best. After losing the first set, he got a medical. He came back and played all the way through. That’s really worth respect. It’s unfortunate that he was not at his best,” Djokovic said. “I still think he played pretty well. He was coming to the net and trying to mix things up. I don’t know exactly to what degree his injury is, but when you’re feeling a little bit hurt, you kind of go for your shots even more.”

Djokovic is now 15-0 once reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open. And not only is the 32-year-old one win from claiming an eighth title in Melbourne and clawing closer to Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (19) in the race for the most Grand Slam trophies, lifting the trophy on Sunday will also return him to the No. 1 FedEx ATP Ranking for the first time since last 28 October.

Last Australian Open, Djokovic put forth a flawless performance against Nadal in the championship match, losing only eight games. He will try to find similar form against Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev on Sunday.

“[There is] no such thing really as perfection. You try to get as close to that [as possible]. Last year’s Grand Slam final performance was probably the best Grand Slam final performance I’ve ever had against Rafa, who was in form,” Djokovic said. “This year I’ll have a different opponent in the final, so obviously it’s going to be a different match-up, different preparation. The contrast of styles of play between Dominic and Zverev is pretty big. One-handed backhand, heavy spin, a lot of power in the shots from Dominic. Then one of the biggest serves with Zverev, a little bit of a different style of play. They’re both from the back of the court. I’ll prepare myself for that match. Hopefully I’ll be able to perform as well as I always had in the Australian Open final.”

Djokovic will have a significant experience advantage, competing in his 25th Grand Slam final. Thiem has reached the Roland Garros final twice, and Zverev is playing in his first major semi-final.

“I think there is more advantage to have the experience than disadvantage. I think it’s better obviously coming into the Grand Slam final to have some experience behind you. At the same time if you don’t have that experience maybe then you don’t have the expectations or you don’t have the pressure of being in the finals that you need to win,” Djokovic said. “The younger players now coming up and challenging us oldies to get to the Grand Slam finals. It’s happening already. You’re going to have Dominic or Sascha in the final. It’s inevitable it’s going to happen more frequently in the future. I think it’s good for [the] sport. I’m going to try my best to prolong their domination in the Grand Slams as much as possible. I’m sure Roger and Rafa would agree.”

Roger Federer took the long view on Thursday despite coming up short in his bid to reach an eighth Australian Open final. The 38-year-old Swiss lost to Novak Djokovic 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-3 as the Serbian improved to 8-0 in Melbourne semi-finals.

But Federer still leaves Melbourne Park feeling positive about his first tournament of the year and what lies ahead for him in 2020. The third seed came back from the brink twice, against Aussie John Millman and American Tennys Sandgren, just to reach the semi-finals, and he pushed the seven-time champion Djokovic in the last four.

Federer served for the first set at 5-3 but was broken before Djokovic came back.

“Overall, at the end of the day I guess I’m very happy. I got to be happy with what I achieved. It was the maximum to go to get at this tournament, especially after the Millman and the Sandgren match,” Federer said.

He fell to 5-1 on the season, and Djokovic now leads their ATP Head2Head series 27-23. The Swiss had been trying to reach his 32^nd major championship final (20-11).

Federer was bothered by a groin injury that cropped up during his quarter-final against Sandgren, when Federer saved seven match points and prevailed in five sets.

“I went for a scan that same night, was all right. After that, well, we didn’t push it. I didn’t practise. I took a day off the next day. Today I just really rested until as late as possible. But I didn’t have any pain in the daily stuff. That was a positive sign,” Federer said.

The Swiss, however, has never retired from a tour-level match and managed his pain throughout the semi-final.

“Today was horrible, to go through what I did. Nice entrance, nice sendoff, and in between is one to forget because you know you have a three per cent chance to win. Got to go for it. You never know. But once you can see it coming, that it’s not going to work anymore, it’s tough,” Federer said.

“At the end of the day I’m very happy. I think I overall played all right. I know I can play better. At the same time I also know I can play much worse. With no tournaments beforehand, I think it’s a very, very good result.”

Federer was optimistic that he’ll be back to full strength in the very near future.

“My feeling is rather quickly,” he said. “You want to be 100 per cent to be able to train again, then get ready for hopefully Dubai. Right now it’s only guessing. I’m very happy that I don’t feel any worse than when I started. That’s for me super encouraging.”

This season could be a significant year for the 38-year-old. Last year, he won his 100th tour-level title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, joining American Jimmy Connors as the only men to cross the century mark with singles titles.

This year, Federer could pass Connors as the Open Era match wins leader. Connors has 1,274 match wins, 32 ahead of Federer, who has 1,242.

Federer also will try to remain on top of the Open Era Grand Slam titles list. The Swiss has 20 major championships, but Rafael Nadal, with 19, and Djokovic, who will play for his 17th on Sunday, remain close behind.

Federer might have to do all that work a spot lower in the FedEx ATP Rankings as well. Austrian Dominic Thiem will rise to a career-high No. 3 if he wins the Australian Open title.

That’s not to say that this will be Federer’s final season, though. He plans to come back to Australia in 2021.

“You never know what the future holds. But especially my age, you don’t know. I’m confident. I’m happy how I’m feeling, to be honest. I got through a good, nice training block. No plans to retire,” Federer said.

“From that standpoint, we’ll see how the year goes, how everything is with the family. We’ll go from there. Of course, I hope to be back.”

After losing last year’s championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals, Dominic Thiem boldly declared that he’s “pretty sure we’re going to see a new and young Grand Slam champion next year.” That could happen as soon as this week, with the fourth seed battling seventh seed Alexander Zverev on Friday for a place in the Australian Open final.

Having faced Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal in three of his four semi-finals at Roland Garros, Thiem is used to being an underdog at this juncture of major championship. He’ll be the on-paper favourite this time when he meets Zverev. Thiem leads their ATP Head2Head rivalry 6-2, including a straight-sets win last year in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals.

“For me, it’s funny because it’s the first time in a Grand Slam semi-final that I face a younger guy,” Thiem said. “We’re good friends. I’m happy for him, as well, that he’s playing so good here. He made his breakthrough at a Grand Slam.

“We have no secrets from each other. We played so many times, also on very special occasions already, at the [Nitto] ATP Finals, semi-finals, Roland Garros quarter-finals. It’s a nice rivalry we have. It’s great that we add an Australian Open semi-final to this one.”

Read More: A Trip Through The Life Of Thiem’s Coach

After surviving a five-set scare in the second round against Aussie wild card Alex Bolt, Thiem elevated his game with each match. His marathon four-set victory over top seed Rafael Nadal was a microcosm of all the improvements he’s made over the years.

The Austrian cracked 65 winners, many of them with his beefed-up forehand, and showed his increased willingness to move forward by winning 25 of 33 net points (76%). Thiem’s stamina after four hours of play also reflected his hard work during a grueling pre-season in Miami. Recovering quickly from his intense clash with Nadal will be essential since Thiem has spent far more time on court this tournament (14:33) than Zverev (10:25).

Read & Watch: Thiem’s Road To 2020

Zverev can be forgiven for keeping his expectations low after losing all three of his singles matches earlier this month for Team Germany at the ATP Cup, but the 22-year-old is back in business this fortnight. Displaying the tennis that’s brought him 11 ATP Tour titles, including the 2018 season finale at The O2, he’s only dropped one set en route to his best showing at a Grand Slam.

“I was paying too much attention to them. I was just playing better tennis at the other tournaments… The Grand Slams maybe meant too much for me,” Zverev said. “I was doing things, in a way, too professional. I was not talking to anybody. I wasn’t going out with friends. I wasn’t having dinner. I was almost too focussed.”

He changed his tactics this tournament by “doing much more things outside the court” and adopting a more relaxed approach. Instead of pushing too eagerly for his Grand Slam breakthrough, Zverev admitted that he “wasn’t really expecting myself in the semi-finals or quarter-finals… Maybe this is a stepping stone. Maybe this is how it should happen. We’ll see how it goes in two days.”

Zverev seeks to become just the 10th first-time Grand Slam finalist in the past decade. Only two of those players (Wawrinka & Cilic) went on to take the title.

When the German’s serve is in full flight, he’s able to use booming serves to set up one-two punches with his forehand. In his quarter-final clash with No. 15 seed Stan Wawrinka, Zverev landed 84 per cent of his first-serves (63/75) in the last three sets and won 79 per cent (50/63) of his first-serve points.

Those numbers are a stark contrast from the serve troubles that plagued him over the past 12 months. Zverev averaged 5.9 double faults per match last season and the issue only worsened during the US Open, where he averaged 10.8 per match and hit 17 in his fourth-round defeat to Diego Schwartzman. It appeared that the problem might carry into 2020 after he served 31 double faults in his three matches at the ATP Cup. But Zverev’s remarkable turnaround in Melbourne has kept him to just nine double faults in five matches.  

Maintaining that level will be essential against Thiem, who is widely considered one of the best returners in the game. Zverev will need to keep the points short and avoid lengthy rallies with the tireless Austrian. Thiem won 15 of 24 rallies that lasted more than seven shots in his quarter-final with Nadal. The longer the match goes, the more it will likely swing in favor of Thiem, who produced a 15-3 record last year in deciding sets.

But Zverev will likely have plenty of crowd support as his promise to donate “every single cent” of his prize money to bushfire relief if he takes the title — more than AU$4 million — moves closer to fruition. He’ll also take confidence in holding wins over the other three players remaining in the draw. If he can defeat them in the world’s biggest ATP Tour events, there’s no reason why he can’t in a Grand Slam.

“I did beat Stan just now, who is also a multiple-Grand Slam champion, which gives me a little bit of confidence that I can do it,” Zverev said. “I hope I can still continue to play better in the semi-finals and hopefully maybe in the final. The people that I’m going to play are not getting worse.”