The King Federer Vs The Djoker Djokovic

Tournament after tournament, year in year out, Roger Federer reads and hears how his grip on the world No.1 spot is supposedly loosening.

In the first month of 2008, we still wait for the predicted cracks to appear and for the king to abdicate after 209 weeks as the planet's No.1 player.

You'd think the doubters would learn but the Swiss master heads into Friday night's Australian Open semi-final against rising Serb star Novak Djokovic with fresh question marks over his superiority.

Djokovic went on record after round one to suggest Federer had lost some of his invincibility and may be vulnerable.

Such comments don't rile Federer.

The three-time Australian Open winner would be more surprised if rivals didn't think they could beat him.

"I've heard it before and don't read it anymore because it's the same thing over and over again," he said. "It's like reliving this whole thing."

"But this is the way you're supposed to think out there (as a player)."

"You are not coming here to lose in the first round. You're coming here to hopefully do well and then win the tournament if you're one of the top 10 guys."

"That's reality. That's nothing new. That's not cocky. That's confidence. That's just a normal tennis player."

"I have absolutely no problems with what Novak has been saying or apparently been saying."

"I really don't care because he cares about his game, I care about him and it's good when we play each other."

Djokovic began the tournament talking up his chances of bringing down the world No.1, but took on a more diplomatic tone when cornered after his quarter-final victory over David Ferrer.

"Every time I play with Roger or with the best players in the world, I learn something new, I have another experience," he explained.

"I try to watch matches, speak with my coach and see what I need to do so I can play better and improve my game and win against the best players in the world."

Federer holds a 5-1 lead in head-to-head clashes with Djokovic - the most recent victory coming in the 2007 US Open final - but says it's his own game, rather than his opponent's, he focuses on..

"I usually concentrate on my own game…that's what's happened over the last few years," he said.

"I go a lot with my feeling throughout the match. If I need to adjust something, I'll do that during the match."

Local interest will centre on the juniors, with Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Jessica Moore in semi-final action.

Tomic, who beat top seed Cesar Ramirez on Thursday, is up against Yuki Bhambri in the boys' singles while Moore takes on Romania's Simona Halep in the girls'.

There is also the women's doubles final between Ukrainian sisters Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko and No.12 seed Victoria Azarenka and Shahar Peer. They kick off the action on Rod Laver Arena.

There's also semis of the mixed doubles, the finals of the junior doubles and wheelchair doubles and semi-finals of the wheelchair singles.

** From Australianopen.org ***