Djokovic’s dad stays away from Australian Open semifinal

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tennis Australia says Novak Djokovic’s father decided to stay away from the 21-time Grand Slam champion’s semifinal after getting embroiled in a flap involving spectators who brought banned Russian flags to Melbourne Park. Djokovic wound up beating unseeded American Tommy Paul 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to earn a berth in the men’s singles final. Tournament organizers said they have spoken with players and their teams about not engaging in any activity that causes distress or disruption. Djokovic’s father was filmed standing with a group of people waving Russian flags outside Rod Laver Arena after the younger Djokovic’s quarterfinal victory over Russian player Andrey Rublev on Wednesday.