Serb and volley stars - Djokovic targeting Federer downfall

Yesterday, the first three made it through to the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Last night, Ivanovic was taking on Daniela Hantuchova and Jankovic was battling against a revitalised Maria Sharapova, but regardless of the results they are here to stay.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball to David Ferrer of Spain during their men's singles quarter final match at the Australian Open

Djokovic will have enormous support for his semi-final against Roger Federer, partly because he is charismatic, but also because people want to see someone mount a successful challenge to the Swiss other than on clay courts. Djokovic is probably the man the best equipped to do it.

He could well have beaten Federer in last September's U.S. Open final but somehow lost in straight sets, having pressed too hard on five set-points in the opener and two in the second.

But it gave the world No 1 a shock and this time there are grounds to think Djokovic has a real chance of denying him an 11th consecutive Grand Slam final.

Djokovic is wiser and technically better; also the court here bounces a little higher than in New York, helping the Serb baseliner.

He will have been encouraged that his friend Tipsarevic so nearly managed to topple Federer before losing 8-6 in the fifth set. It adds to the growing perception that Federer, who has been a little grouchy this fortnight, might be wobbling.

"The players start to feel that he's beatable," said Djokovic, who overcame Spaniard David Ferrer 6-0, 6-3, 7-5. "Of course nobody's unbeatable, but he was very, very dominant, especially on the faster surfaces.

"Players have started playing in a different way against him, with more belief that they can win, so it's a good thing for all of us. Maybe I will give Janko a call.

The lesson from Tipsarevic was that players must stick to what they know against Federer and not fall into the trap of trying too hard to play the match of their life against him.

Djokovic said: "I didn't use my opportunities against him at the U.S. Open, but I have learned from that. I'm playing in a more attacking way now and I think I've improved. I'm feeling really good physically and mentally."

Djokovic also comes from a younger generation of players with less innate fear of the great champion. Federer's contemporaries like James Blake, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt are in awe of him, having taken so many beatings that have left psychological scars.

Blake took a 0-7 career record into his quarter-final against Federer and pushed hard against the Swiss who, by his own serene standards, was again slightly grumpy yet still emerged with a 7-5, 7-6, 6-4 win.

Djokovic, who does not have the backhand weakness of the American, is capable of making Federer pay for the kind of loose points he played in surrendering early breaks in the first two sets.

But waiting for Federer to slip away from the French Open could still prove a very lengthy game.

While Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wifried Tsonga were facing off in the other semi-final, the make-up of the women's final four was significant, both for the absence of either Williams sister and because all four are from Eastern Europe.

Venus was beaten yesterday by Ivanovic at the same stage as Serena's departure, losing to a player who had never taken a set off her in four previous meetings.

The sisters will limp back to America as they also lost in the quarter-final of the doubles. What the experience of the year's first Grand Slam will have confirmed to them is that there is no room these days for dipping in and out of the game, as they once did.