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World No.2 Jannik Sinner has defended Novak Djokovic's level at the Australian Open after being asked about whether certain parts of the Serb's game have declined. The two-time defending champion is looking to match Djokovic's Open Era record of three straight men's Aussie Open titles.

The Italian has been relatively untroubled at Melbourne Park so far this fortnight - dropping just one set so far in a heat-affected third-round match against Eliot Spizzirri, where he suffered from cramps. Sinner breezed past Ben Shelton in straight sets on Wednesday - setting up a mouthwatering semi-final clash against 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic on Friday.

The 24-year-old will fancy his chances of reaching another final due to his excellent record against the ageing Serb in recent seasons. Sinner leads the head-to-head 6-4 and has won their last five meetings - including the previous nine sets between them.

Djokovic has not beaten the four-time Grand Slam winner since the 2023 ATP Tour Finals final. The Serb's struggles against his last four opponents have, in part, contributed to him failing to win a Grand Slam title since the 2023 US Open.

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And Sinner was asked in his post-match press conference on Wednesday whether any part of Djokovic's game have declined in recent years. He said: "You have to ask him. I don't know.

"I mean, the level he is still playing, he is, I think, the most professional athlete we have here in the locker room. I also try to be as professional as possible.

"Obviously, he has a huge package of experience on the court. He knows how to handle every situation in the best possible way.

"As a 24-year-old, I'm lucky to have someone like him in front of my eyes, and I can hopefully learn something. I feel like every time he plays, I can learn something about him, about Carlos [Alcaraz], about all the other great, great players, and I take this as a positive.

"I think the way he's playing, the way he's moving, if you're not professional, you don't play at this level. He's an inspiration for all of us, and especially the young players."

Djokovic goes into Friday's semi-final relatively fresh after his fourth-round opponent, Jakub Mensik, pulled out injured before a ball was hit. He then benefited from Lorenzo Musetti's injury-enforced withdrawal mid-match when the Italian was leading two sets to love.

However, Djokovic's error-strewn display against the world No.5 will not fill him with confidence as he looks to avoid a third-straight semi-final defeat Down Under. The 10-time former Aussie Open winner lost in four sets to Sinner two years ago before pulling out of last year's semi-final after losing the first set to Alexander Zverev.