Novak Djokovic bundles out Pouille, cruises to Aussie Open final vs Rafael Nadal

MELBOURNE  – Every reverberating squeak of Novak Djokovic’s court-blue shoes put him in perfect position to control a point – and a step closer to a record seventh Australian Open championship.

Djokovic was downright flawless right from the outset of his semifinal against an overmatched No. 28 Lucas Pouille and never relented, not for a moment, en route to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 victory in less than 1 1/2 hours Friday night.

Of all the ways in which Djokovic dominated, perhaps this was the most impressive: He made an unheard-of total of five unforced errors. And that’s despite risking enough to produce 24 winners.

“Everything worked the way I imagined it before the match,” Djokovic said. “And even more so.”

On Sunday, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic will line up against his old rival, No. 2 Rafael Nadal, for the 53rd time on tour, eighth in a Grand Slam final.

“I would definitely want to buy a ticket for that match, for those who haven’t yet,” Djokovic joked during his on-court interview at Rod Laver Arena.

Only Nadal, with 17, and Roger Federer, with 20, own more major titles than Djokovic, who is gaining on them: He is seeking his 15th overall and third in a row, following Wimbledon last July and the US Open last September.

Djokovic holds a 27-25 lead in the head-to-head series with Nadal. But Nadal leads 4-3 in major finals. The only other time they met with the Australian Open trophy on the line, in 2012, Djokovic won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in 5 hours, 53 minutes.