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Exciting local wildcards Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler have surged through to the Australian Open men's doubles final, continuing their giant-killing run at Melbourne Park.

Hijikata and Kubler have a chance to emulate Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis's unlikely title triumph last year after downing eighth seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers in Thursday's semi-finals.

The duo claimed a hard-fought first set, before finishing the job 6-4 6-2 in 63 minutes, sparking the jubilant Rod Laver Arena crowd on Australia Day.

"Who would have thought?" Kubler said.

"We both returned unbelievable. If anyone watched the match (on Wednesday) they saw Rinky lacing them, I was happy to do my part out there. It's unbelievable.

"I'm just swinging. With each match we get more confident and feel more at home on these big courts."

Zeballos and Granollers are the same pair Kyrgios and Kokkinakis defeated in last year's Australian Open semi-finals.

But that is where the similarities between the "Special Ks" and Hijikata and Kubler end.

Unlike Kyrgios and Kokkinakis's wild, and sometimes controversial, run to the final last year, Hijikata and Kubler have gone about their business with little fuss.

Every match Kyrgios and Kokkinakis played had the hype of a singles encounter, whereas Hijikata and Kubler's run has been far more low-key.

Until Kyrgios and Kokkinakis's win last year, the last all-Australian pair to claim a men's doubles crown at Melbourne Park were Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in 1997.

This accomplishment adds to Kubler's remarkable resurgence over the past year, which started with him making the 2022 mixed doubles final at Melbourne Park with compatriot Jaimee Fourlis.

Kubler reached the second week at Wimbledon and was Australia's last man standing at the French Open, also making the second round at Flushing Meadows for a second time.

Hijikata exited the men's singles in the second round at the Open with a straight-sets loss to Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"I was still pretty bummed about my singles match, to be honest," Hijikata said when asked if he thought they could make a deep doubles run.

"But yeah, wow, we'll take it for sure."

Hijikata and Kubler will meet fellow unseeded pair Hugo Nys from Monaco and Poland's Jan Zielinski in Saturday night's final after they defeated French duo Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin 6-3 5-7 6-2 in the other semi-final.

© AAP 2023

Whether it was through citizenship ceremonies, protests or celebrations, millions of Australians have marked Australia Day.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley met with Indigenous elders for a private smoking ceremony as official commemorations kicked off around the nation.

They also greeted some of Australia's newest citizens as more than 19,000 people across the nation took part in ceremonies.

Among them was Mexican-born Nashieli Garcia Alaniz, who hopes to use her expertise as an ecologist to protect the nation's native animals.

"I'm super happy that I can participate in the country on a different level now and I can't wait to contribute to help protect this environment," she told AAP.

Mr Albanese acknowledged there was pain across the Indigenous community on January 26, but there was national pride in its 60,000 years of culture.

"Today is a difficult day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," he said.

"Let us all recognise the unique privilege we have to share this continent with the world's oldest continuous culture."

Canberra's Aunty Violet Sheridan used her welcome to country to call for unity.

"I'm a proud Ngunnawal Aboriginal woman but I'm also a proud Australian," she said.

"I want us to come together."

But just kilometres down the road in Canberra's centre, Indigenous activists were protesting Invasion Day as they marched towards the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.

Invasion or Survival Day rallies were held in all capital cities, providing a visual reminder of opposition to the public holiday.

Protest leaders called for a focus on sovereignty, treaty and truth-telling, with some speakers stridently opposed to an Indigenous voice.

In Melbourne, Aboriginal activist Gary Foley said people had to be careful not to be sucked into a measure that would ultimately be "lipstick on a pig".

"The Australian parliament today is not interested in listening to the voice of Aboriginal people ... why should we expect that yet another advisory body would?" he said.

Events in Sydney began at dawn with a projection on the Opera House by Kamilaroi woman and artist Rhonda Sampson acknowledging the important role of women around Sydney Cove before Captain Phillip's arrival.

It was followed by a smoking ceremony at Barangaroo, held for the 20th year to celebrate the culture and language of Indigenous people.

Among those being part of festivities in Sydney was 52-year-old Mark Brine, who was seen strolling down the Rocks precinct donning an Akubra hit on his horse Pugsley.

Dozens of revellers, mostly children, came to pat the horse and he hoisted them up for pictures.

Summoning an outback spirit in an urban setting, Mr Brine, who grew up on a cattle farm in Mudgee, said he has been coming down every Australia Day for the last decade - except during the pandemic.

"It's horse therapy for people when they see them. The look on their faces and the smiles - they love them," he told AAP.

The Victorian government cancelled the street parade through Melbourne, choosing to focus on local gatherings.

But a 21-gun salute occurred at midday at the Shrine of Remembrance followed by the RAAF Roulettes city fly-over.

© AAP 2023

Red-hot Australian Open favourite Novak Djokovic's father has posed with supporters of Russian president Vladimir Putin outside Melbourne Park.

A group of fans, including a man holding a Russian flag with Putin's face on it, gathered on stairs outside the grand slam complex on Wednesday.

In a video posted to YouTube on Thursday, Srdjan Djokovic was filmed with the pro-Russian spectators, briefly speaking to the camera in Serbian before he walked off.

It comes after Tennis Australia banned spectators from carrying and displaying Russian and Belarusian banners in Melbourne Park on the second day of the tournament.

"A small group of people displayed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened security guards following a match on Wednesday night and were evicted," a Tennis Australia statement read.

"One patron is now assisting police with unrelated matters.

"Players and their teams have been briefed and reminded of the event policy regarding flags and symbols and to avoid any situation that has the potential to disrupt.

"We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement agencies."

After Djokovic demolished Russian Andrey Rublev in straight sets to cruise through to his 10th Australian Open semi-final, fans chanted "Russia, Serbia".

Among them was the man who held up the flag featuring Putin, while wearing a T-shirt bearing the pro-war in Ukraine 'Z' symbol.

A different man had earlier been pictured with a Z symbol T-shirt inside Rod Laver Arena during the match.

Past and present Russian flags, the Russian Eagle flag, Belarusian flags and items of clothing with the Z symbol are prohibited items at Melbourne Park.

Four people in the crowd revealed inappropriate flags and symbols and Victoria Police continue to question them, TA said.

TA had initially permitted spectators to bring Russian and Belarusian banners to Melbourne Park, as long as they did not cause disruption, but the policy was quickly reversed.

That rule has been flouted on multiple occasions but Wednesday night's incident was clearly the most blatant.

Russian and Belarusian players, including Rublev, fellow Russian Karen Khachanov and Belarusian women's semi-finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka, are allowed to compete in Melbourne, but must do so under a neutral banner.

They were banned by the All England club from participating at Wimbledon last year in reaction to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Russia is Belarus' largest and most important economic and political partner.

© AAP 2023