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, Tennis Australia said Friday.

In a release e-mailed to reporters about 2 1/2 hours before Djokovic was scheduled to face Tommy Paul for a berth in the men's singles final, tournament organizers said Srdjan Djokovic has issued a statement confirming that he will not attend the match.