Djokovic manages to win

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer remain on course for a hotly anticipated Australian Open semifinal showdown.

Gilles Simon took Novak Djokovic to five sets at the Australian Open on Sunday.

“I feel if I can just continue to play well, then it could be good”, the six-times champion said after celebrating her victory with a graceful twirl.

“I was obviously pleased to win the match, but in terms of the performance itself, I haven’t done well at all”. “Actually it gives me great joy to know that I can’t get worse than that, than what I played today”. “I’m going to make sure that I decrease that number at least more than half and hope for the best”, Djokovic said. But I knew what was expecting me on the court. We all know which player he is and how hard it is to find any solution against him, to somehow stop the fight and feel better on the court.

“It was a good challenge and I’m happy I came out and played as well as I did…it was a good surprise out here tonight for me”, Federer said. He later added, “It would be interesting to see how many dropshot points I won”.

Djokovic, who commited 100 unforced errors Sunday, was in the middle of his post-match TV interview with Jim Courier (8-minute mark) when the fan interrupted with his loud but simple advice.

“I made a lot of unforced errors today but nevertheless he was always fighting”.

“Playing against a player like Gilles you can expect a lot of rallies, he’s always making you play an extra shot”.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – In the shadows of a sporting shrine where centuries are usually celebrated, Novak Djokovic reached an unprecedented 100 that took a touch of the glow off his streak of reaching the quarterfinals at a 27th consecutive major.

“That’s normal because he’s the best player in the world”.

The five-time victor has been the dominant force in the men’s game in recent years but looked uncharacteristically vulnerable during a five-set match against the 14th seeded player.

The error count was largely testament to Simon’s dogged scrambling and counter-punching style, but Djokovic also shot himself in the foot repeatedly with a string of botched dropshots.

He was at a loss to explain his tactic of continually trying drop shots, which either found the net or were returned with interest by the fast-moving Simon. Djokovic said, looking into the stands.

“I think [Federer is] playing really well, especially in the last season”, said Berdych, who last beat Federer in 2013.

Although pushing the Serb, Simon was often unable to conjure the killer blows needed on the big points and admitted he was up against it without the power hitting of a player like Stan Wawrinka, who upset five-times Melbourne Park champion Djokovic on the way to the 2014 title.

Berdych, the sixth seed, beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, the No. 24 seed, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.