Defending champion Novak Djokovic is now only one victory from his hat-trick of Melbourne titles after reaching his third consecutive final here on Thursday.

The Serb thrashed fourth-seeded David Ferrer 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in one hour and 29 minutes and fired a warning to Andy Murray and Roger Federer who will play the other semifinal on Friday.

Djokovic, who could be the first player to win three consecutive Australian Open titles in the Open era, ran the Spaniard around the court then finished points with style and power to keep his unbeaten Grand Slam record against Ferrer.

The Serb won more than twice as many points as Ferrer, stringing together 12 in a row during the second set to underline the one-way nature of the contest.

He rode a confidence wave through the third set, making spectacular winners look regulation, as he gave up just 11 points for the set.

Djokovic extended his winning streak at the Melbourne Park to 20 and will await the winner between 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer and US Open winner Murray.

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