Australian Open men's semfinals preview

One of these four will win the Australian Open.

For the second straight major and third of the last five, the game's top-four players — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray — will square off in the semifinal round. To go even further, with only one exception — Juan Martin del Potro's 2009 US Open win — either Federer, Nadal or Djokovic has been the winner of every Slam tournament since Marat Safin's Australian Open win in 2005. Murray has yet to win a Slam, but the other three combine for 30 Grand Slam singles titles. Federer has the most of any player in the Open era with 16, Nadal has 10 and Djokovic has four, including two in Melbourne.

At various points in 2011, each of these four dominated the men's game. Most notable, of course, was Djokovic's 43-match win streak to begin the season. Roger Federer ended the year with a 15-match, three-title streak of his own and Andy Murray took two titles in Asia after the US Open. Combined, the four won 22 titles (Djokovic, 10; Nadal, 3; Murray, 5; and Federer, 4) and more than $31 million in prize money. Djokovic won the Australian Open (defeating Murray), Wimbledon and the US Open (defeating Nadal in both). Nadal defeated Federer to win the French Open. Federer won the ATP World Tour Finals, and Nadal led Spain to a fifth Davis Cup.

(2) RAFAEL NADAL VS. (3) ROGER FEDERER

When: Thursday, Jan 26, 3:30 a.m. ET
Head-to-head: Nadal leads 17-9
Evans: Nadal's heroics on display to reach semis

Path to the semifinals:

2. Rafael Nadal, ESP

SF (3) Roger Federer, SUI
QF (7) Tomas Berdych, CZE 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-3
R4 (18) Feliciano Lopez, ESP 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
R3 Lucas Lacko, SVK 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
R2 Tommy Haas, GER 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
R1 Alex Kuznetsov, USA 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
3. Roger Federer, SUI

SF (2) Rafael Nadal, ESP
QF (11) Juan Martin del Potro, ARG 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
R4 Bernard Tomic, AUS 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
R3 Ivo Carlovic, CRO 7-6(5), 7-5, 6-3
R2 Andreas Beck, GER Walkover
R1 Alexander Kudryavtsev, RUS 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
(1) NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. (4) ANDY MURRAY

When: Friday, Jan 27, 3:30 a.m. ET
Head-to-head: Djokovic leads 6-4
Evans: Djokovic shows strain, lands in semis

Path to the semifinals:
1. Novak Djokovic, SRB
SF vs. (4) Andy Murray, GBR
QF (5) David Ferrer, ESP 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-1
R4 Lleyton Hewitt, AUS 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
R3 Nicolas Mahut, FRA 6-0, 6-1, 6-1
R2 Santiago Giraldo, COL 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
R1 Paolo Lorenzi, ITA 6-2, 6-0, 6-0

4. Andy Murray, GBR
SF (1) Novak Djokovic, SRB
QF (24) Kei Nishikori, JPN 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
R4 Mikhail Kukushkin, KAZ 6-1, 6-1. 1-0 Ret.
R3 Michael Llodra, FRA 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
R2 Edouard Roger-Vasselin, FRA 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
R1 Ryan Harrison, USA 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

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Andy Murray into Australian Open semifinals

Andy Murray produced an outstanding display as he blew away Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in straight sets in the Australian Open quarter-finals.and moved into the semifinals of Australian Open 2012

Andy Murray, Aussie runner-up the past two years,

 has started the year 10-0.

Two-time runner-up Andy Murray has moved into the semifinals of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Kei Nishikori on Wednesday.

Murray will next meet either defending champion Novak Djokovic or No. 5 David Ferrer, who play later Wednesday.


No. 4-ranked Murray has lost back-to-back finals at Melbourne Park. He is on a 10-match winning streak after his victory in a tune-up tournament at Brisbane this month.

Two of the so-called ''Big Four,'' Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, are already through to a marquee semifinal after winning through Wednesday.

Federer beat 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in a quarterfinal marking his 1,000th tour-level match. Nadal rallied for a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych.

Their match on Thursday will be their 27th in all and 10th a major, but their first in a Grand Slam semifinal since 2005.

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Nadal reaches quarterfinals at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia  – His right knee and left ankle taped, Rafael Nadal didn't look to be in any pain as he gave his friend Feliciano Lopez the runaround on Sunday,winning 6-4, 6-4,6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Nadal, who bizarrely hurt his knee while sitting in a chair the day before the tournament began, is one win away from a possible semifinal against old rival Roger Federer after beating his fellow Spaniard for the ninth time in 11 matches.


On a sunny day with the temperature rising to 32C (89F),
both players sat with ice towels around their necks during the changeovers.


Nadal needed treatment from the trainer for a left ankle problem after three games of the first set. By that time, he had already broken serve and he did the same early in the next two sets to maintain control against his "very good friend" Lopez.

"I am fine," Nadal said. "It was a very, very hot day. I think it's positive to keep winning in straight sets."

Federer was up against 19-year-old Australian Bernard Tomic in the first match of the night session later Sunday. The 16-time Grand Slam champion hasn't been beaten by a teenager since 2006, when he lost to Andy Murray at the Cincinnati Masters.

Also Sunday, defending champion Kim Clijsters was to face Li Na in a repeat of the 2011 final. Clijsters beat Li 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to win her fourth major title a year ago.

Victoria Azarenka was the first player to reach the quarterfinals when she beat Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-2.

The third-seeded Belarusian is yet to drop a set at the tournament and will next meet eighth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Julia Goerges of Germany 6-1, 6-1.

With the win, 22-year-old Azarenka stayed in the hunt for the No. 1 ranking. Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova can also claim the top spot from Caroline Wozniacki.

"I would be a liar if I said I didn't care about it," Azarenka said. "It's in the back of my head and we'll take it day by day, I guess."

Azarenka, like Wozniacki, is aiming for her first Grand Slam title. She has never gone past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but goes into her match against Radwanska with a 6-3 winning record. The last of those victories came at the Sydney International tournament, which Azarenka won before coming to Melbourne.

Sunday's win was her ninth straight, but the likes of Serena Williams and Clijsters are still attracting more attention.

"For me, doesn't really matter. I try to focus on myself," Azarenka said. "I think I'm in the best shape physically right now, so it kind of helps other aspects of the game. I feel pretty good out there."

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Australian Open:-2012 ,start for Murray

Australian Open:-2012

Five other Britons to play first-round matches on Monday
Tuesday start for Murray

Andy Murray: Will play Ryan Harrison on Tuesday

.

Andy Murray will open his Australian Open campaign in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Monday's order of play was published on Saturday and
Murray's name was not on it.

The top half of the men's draw, including defending champion Novak Djokovic and Murray,
will not play until Tuesday.

Murray's first-round opponent is American Ryan Harrison.

The other five British players in the singles draws will, however, play on the tournament's opening day.

Heather Watson will get proceedings under way on Melbourne Park's main court, the Rod Laver Arena, against third seed Victoria Azarenka.

That match will take place at 0001 GMT on Monday.

Night session                                                                              

Laura Robson will also make a show court appearance - she's fourth on the Margaret Court Arena against former world number one Jelena Jankovic.

Court 11 will be the place to be if you are a British fan though, with James Ward, Elena Balatcha and Anne Keothavong all in action there.

Qualifier Ward will be first up against Slovenia's Blaz Kavcic. Baltacha's clash with Stephanie Foretz Gacon will be third match on and they will be followed by Keothavong against Mona Barthel, the German who warmed up for the tournament by winning the Hobart International.

Monday's schedule also features defending women's champion Kim Clijsters, while the night session matches on Rod Laver Arena will see Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki in action.

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