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MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic will play his longtime rival Rafael Nadal for the Australian Open title after cruising through a remarkably easy three-set win in the semifinals Friday night.
The Serbian quickly dismantled Lucas Pouille of France, the No. 28 seed, by a score of 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 on center court at Rod Laver Arena.
The top-ranked player on the men’s tennis tour and a six-time winner in Melbourne, Djokovic walked to the court as the heavy favorite. Pouille had reached the semifinals after a surprising run that came on the heels of a difficult year in which his top 10 ranking dipped to No.