Novak Djokovic feels he has “something extra” at this year’s Australian Open as he prepares to do battle for a place in the Melbourne final.

Nine-time champion Djokovic hopes to reach a 10th final at Melbourne Park when he takes on American Tommy Paul in the last four on Friday.

For Paul, it marks a maiden Grand Slam semi-final, in which he will face Djokovic for the first time.

Earlier in the day, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will meet Karen Khachanov.

Greece’s Tsitsipas is chasing a place in his second major final when he takes on Khachanov on Rod Laver Arena from 03:30 GMT, while his Russian opponent has never progressed from a Grand Slam semi-final.

Fourth seed Djokovic and Paul will go head to head from 08:30.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid chase a fourth successive wheelchair doubles title when they take on Dutch duo Maikel Scheffers and Ruben Spaargaren in the final.

Fellow Briton Ranah Stoiber is also in action in the junior girls’ singles semi-finals.

Djokovic ‘couldn’t ask for a better situation’

A lot can happen in 12 months. One year ago, Serbia’s Djokovic was absent from the Australian Open having been deported from the country because of his Covid-19 vaccine status.

Move the clock forward to the present day and he is playing some of his finest tennis, a hamstring injury no longer hampering him the way it did in the early rounds of the tournament.

“I always try to give my best, particularly in Grand Slams, because at this stage of my career those are the tournaments that count the most,” said the 35-year-old.

“But you could say that there is something extra this year, yeah. You could say because the injury, what happened last year. I just wanted to really do well.

“So far I have a perfect score in Australian hard courts, in Adelaide and here. I’ve been playing better and better. I couldn’t ask for a better situation to be in at the moment.”