Djokovic surpasses Nadal after qualifying for Australian Open semis

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has surpassed Spain’s Rafael Nadal after he reached the semi-finals of the ongoing Australian Open on Wednesday.

According to Opta, Djokovic has reached his 178th ATP-level career semi-final, becoming the fourth male player in the Open Era with the most semis while also surpassing Nadal’s 177.

Djokovic is two wins away from a 22nd Grand Slam crown after he delivered a masterclass to crush Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena and set up a meeting with Tommy Paul for a place in Sunday´s final.

Djokovic´s quest to go level with great rival Rafael Nadal on a leading 22 major titles carries an air of inevitability.

The 35-year-old has struggled with a hamstring injury in the early rounds at Melbourne Park but was dominant during his fourth-round demolition of Alex de Minaur and was equally clinical against the outclassed Rublev.

"I cannot be happier with my tennis, honestly," Djokovic told an adoring Rod Laver Arena.

"I´ve been playing very solid from the back of the court and I really love playing in these conditions and this court."

Victory for the red-hot favourite propelled him into a 44th Grand Slam semi-final to close the gap on Roger Federer´s all-time record of 46.

Anything other than a rampant win for Djokovic against unseeded Paul would amount to a massive upset, albeit at a tournament that has seen numerous shocks in the men´s and women´s draws.

Paul defeated his fellow American Ben Shelton 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to reach his first major semi-final.

But former world number one Djokovic, who can return to the top of the rankings if he wins the Australian Open for a record-extending 10th time, will be a whole new prospect.

Paul, ranked 35, and the Serb great have never played each other before.

"I saw him in the locker room after I finished my match. He said, congrats," said the 25-year-old, adding they had practised together before.

"Obviously he´s pretty comfortable here in Australia," the American added. "It´s going to be a challenging match but I´m playing some of my best tennis, so it´s a good time."

The other semi-final is between third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Russian 18th seed Karen Khachanov.

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