- It was perhaps my second best match, after the win against De Minaur two days ago.
I couldn't be happier with my tennis, played very solid from the baseline.
I love playing here, says Djokovic after the elimination in the interview from the court in Eurosport's broadcast.
Rublev took a chance and hit a forehand into the net as Djokovic finished his serve game cleanly.
He showed little emotion afterwards as he reached his 44th Grand Slam semi-final.
Rublev didn't play a bad match, but nothing could be done about Djokovic, who was usually the winner in the hard-fought duels from the baseline.
Occasionally he stretched and stretched his heavily bandaged left thigh - but there was no sign of movement in the game.
In the semifinals, Djokovic will face Tommy Paul, the first American in a semifinal in Melbourne since 2009 when Andy Roddick won against compatriot Ben Shelton 7-6(8-6), 6-3.5-7.6-4 .
Paul won the Stockholm Open in 2021 and is known to a Swedish audience not least for the tough match he had with Leo Borg in the same tournament last year.
Also in the 2021 Stockholm Open, Borg had to meet Paul.