Federer, Chung, Kerber, Halep in semis

He will next face the victor between Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych in the semis on Friday. Nothing was going Fed’s way.

Federer should win this in a canter, but given the way Fucsovics was able to defend against Querrey and handle power, you can never be totally sure.

After the first-set dramas it was routine with Federer breaking decisively for 5-3 with an easy backhand victor after Berdych’s half volley sat up begging. Really mad, in fact. “It’s your call”, he appeared to be saying to the chair umpire repeatedly.

Here’s where the story changes.

Federer had notched up 23 winners, but also 18 errors, Berdych had a tidy 8/8, but the momentum had shifted.

Roger Federer put all his experience into play as he outclassed 19th seed Tomas Berdych 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday. “It gives me good confidence, good excitement on the court, when you are winning the matches, it just pushes you a little bit more, knowing that you believe in the things that are working”.

In the second set, Federer’s strong played continued as he held off Berdych’s attempts to wrestle back control. It was definitely very close, the turning point, and it ended up being for the entire match. As he has done now in 14 of 20 meetings with Federer.

When he didn’t, Federer, who has the reputation of seeing better than the hawkeye, challenged the point. The pair exchanged three straight breaks early in the third, but Federer got the better of it. Seeing Berdych again must have been a comforting experience, even if Federer knows more than most how risky he can be. Against Berdych, Federer displayed occasional flashes of brilliance, but also large doses of another less-appreciated quality: a refusal to lose. Berdych stunned him in the first round of the Olympics in 2004, beat him at Wimbledon in 2010 and at the US Open in 2012. One has two major titles, the other still seeks a breakthrough.

The clock is undoubtedly ticking on Federer’s career, with some people even surprised he’s still playing to the level he is now, but he turns 37 later this year, and doesn’t have too long left to add to his record total of slams. In the victory, Federer won 83 percent of his first serve points and 53 percent of his second serve points.

How did he mount the comeback? “Anyway, I had to stay calm because… the match was not finished yet”.

Seven points later, he eventually broke Berdych to get back on serve, and then won the tiebreaker.

An injured and visibly struggling Rafael Nadal retired while trailing in the fifth set of his Australian Open quarterfinal match against Marin Cilic. Just ask Rafael Nadal, who seemed destined for his second AO title previous year, when Federer came behind in the fifth set to win five games in a row to clinch his fifth title Down Under. And what about nerves?