Meet the Australian Open men’s finalists

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Age: 32, Nation: Serbia

Seeding: 2, World ranking: 32

Grand Slam titles: 16 (Australian Open 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015,

2016, 2019; French Open 2016; Wimbledon 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018,

2019; U.S. Open 2011, 2015, 2018)

ATP titles: 77

ROAD TO FINAL (prefix denotes seeding):

First round: beat Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) 7-6(5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1

Second round: beat Tatsuma Ito (Japan) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

Third round: beat Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

Fourth round: beat 14-Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Quarter-final: beat 32-Milos Raonic (Canada) 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(1)

Semi-final: beat 3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-3

Defending champion Novak Djokovic arrived in Melbourne as the hot favourite after helping Serbia win the ATP Cup team event in Sydney.

After dropping a set in the opening round, Djokovic has remained on course for another successful fortnight at Melbourne Park as he chases a record-extending eighth Australian Open title.

Dominic Thiem

Age: 26, Nation: Austria

World ranking: 5, Seeding: 5

Grand Slam titles: 0, ATP titles: 16

ROAD TO FINAL:

First round: beat Adrian Mannarino (France) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2

Second round: beat Alex Bolt (Australia) 6-2, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2

Third round: beat 29-Taylor Fritz (US) 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4

Fourth round: beat 10-Gael Monfils (France) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4

Quarter-final: beat 1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(6)

Semi-final: beat 7-Alexander Zverev (Germany) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(4)

With the men's Grand Slams dominated for years by the 'Big Three' of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Thiem will bid to become the first man born in the 1990s to win a major title.

The Austrian, long viewed as a clay-court specialist, has become a fierce competitor on hard courts as he finished last season with title triumphs in Beijing and Vienna.

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