TENNIS:NOVAK DJOKOVIC set up a semi-final showdown with Roger Federer at the Australian Open after a straight-sets win over Tomas Berdych.
The third seed won 6-1 7-6 (7/5) 6-1 in two hours and 32 minutes and will now play defending champion Federer, who proved too strong for Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka.
“I am taking one match at a time but if I continue playing like this I have a good chance,” said Djokovic of his last-four meeting with the record 16-time Grand Slam champion.
“I have nothing to lose playing Federer, he is defending the title and I have to believe in myself to win that match.”
Djokovic could have been in for a long night when he found himself 4-1 down in the second set after taking the first with ease, but he battled back to take it to a tie-break which he then claimed to end Berdych’s resistance.
“I played really well in the first and third sets and I was on and off in the second. I was a bit defensive and gave him some opportunities to get back into the match,” he added. “The turning point was the tie-break and if it went to one-set all it is a completely different match.
“It was a huge confidence boost to win that set and it meant I could go for my shots.”
Federer made even smoother progress earlier in the day. The manner of Wawrinka’s wins over Gael Monfils and Andy Roddick in his two previous matches offered hope he could test the world number two, but the 19th seed was simply blown away as Federer cruised through 6-1 6-3 6-3.
Federer was quickly out of the blocks and raced through the opening set, breaking Wawrinka in the second game and then again for a 5-1 lead.
The match could have turned in game six of the second when Wawrinka claimed his first break point of the match. He was then presented with a makeable backhand pass up the line only to hammer it wastefully wide.
It signalled the beginning of the end for Wawrinka. His head dropped and, as the frustration started to mount, Federer capitalised, breaking in the next game with a backhand winner.
Federer threatened again when he brought up a set point at 5-3 on the Wawrinka serve. He missed it with an uncharacteristically sloppy drop-shot but second time round he made no mistake with a cross-court winner.
Down two sets and with Federer’s first-serve percentage getting up to the 80 per cent mark, there was never going to be a way back for Wawrinka and he sensed it, smashing his racket into the court after dropping his serve once more at the start of the third as Federer hit a winner down the line.
The world number two did not let up and cruised through in one hour and 47 minutes.
Federer said: “I think it was a good match for me really. I started off well, was able to serve and return really well.
“I expected him to serve bigger, because the ball travels faster through the air (during the day). For some reason I was able to return him well.
“On my own service games I was really good, too.
“I think that really set the tone for a good match for me.”
Australian Open Melbourne Park
MEN'S SINGLES: Quarter-finals: (3) Novak Djokovic (Ser) bt (6) Tomas Berdych (Cze) 6-1 7-6 (7-5) 6-1, (2) Roger Federer (Swi) bt (19) Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) 6-1 6-3 6-3.
WOMEN'S SINGLES: Quarter-finals: (9) Na Li (Chn) bt (30) Andrea Petkovic (Ger) 6-2 6-4, (1) Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt (6) Francesca Schiavone (Ita) 3-6 6-3 6-3.
MEN'S DOUBLES: Quarter-finals: (1) Bob Bryan (USA) and Mike Bryan (USA) bt (6) Jurgen Melzer (Aut) and Philipp Petzschner (Ger) 6-3 7-6 (9-7), Eric Butorac (USA) and Jean-Julien Rojer (Aho) bt (4) Lukasz Kubot (Pol) and Oliver Marach (Aut) 6-3 6-4.
WOMEN'S DOUBLES: Quarter-finals: (12) Victoria Azarenka (Blr) and Maria Kirilenko (Rus) bt Chia-Jung Chuang (Tpe) and Su-Wei Hsieh (Tpe) 5-7 6-3 6-2, (2) Kveta Peschke (Cze) and Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) bt (9) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) and Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) 6-3 6-3, (1) Gisela Dulko (Arg) and Flavia Pennetta (Ita) bt Natalie Grandin (Rsa) and Vladimira Uhlirova (Cze) 6-0 6-3, (3) Liezel Huber (USA) and Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt (5) Cara Black (Zim) and Anastasia Rodionova (Aus) 6-1 6-4
