Semi Fianl Tennis Video
MELBOURNE — Defending champion Roger Federer demolished fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka to reach his eighth straight Australian Open semi-final Tuesday, setting up a grandstand clash with Novak Djokovic.
Women’s top seed Caroline Wozniacki survived a thrilling quarter-final with tenacious Italian Francesca Schiavone and will now need to beat Li Na, who ratcheted up Chinese hopes of a first Grand Slam singles title.
Federer, who can become only the second man to win five Australian Opens after Roy Emerson (six), showed no mercy against close friend Wawrinka as he took him apart 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 in just 1hr 47 min on Rod Laver Arena.
“I definitely needed a good performance and I’ve obviously played Stan many times in practice and in matches, and there were no real secrets out there for either of us,” Federer said.
Federer and Wawrinka are known for a joyous celebration after their doubles gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but the pair were poles apart as the 16-time Grand Slam winner coolly dispatched his frustrated friend.
Wawrinka, who had not been beaten this year and whipped Andy Roddick in the quarters, angrily smashed his racquet when he was broken for the fifth time, in the third set, as Federer cantered to victory.
Federer, 29, can equal Andre Agassi’s record 46 hard-court titles and derail top seed Rafael Nadal’s “Rafa Slam”, a non-calendar year Grand Slam which would unite all four major trophies for the first time since 1969.
But he will have his work cut out against Djokovic, who came out on top of their last Melbourne semi-final in 2008 and went on to win his lone Grand Slam title.
