Roger Federer put impeccable championship form on display as Tuesday’s all-Swiss Australian Open quarterfinal evolved into just another winning walkabout for the world number two in 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 drilling of Stanislas Wawrinka.
Women’s top-seed Caroline Wozniacki kept a tenuous grip on her number one ranking as she preyed on the tiring legs of Francesca Schiavone for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 trip to the semifinals.
Italy’s battling veteran Schiavone had played for almost five hours in a marathon weekend win and ran out of puff after leading a set and 3-1. Wozniacki survived in the quest for her first Grand Slam title to back up the top ranking she earned in 2010.
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Schiavone will still rise to fourth, the best-ever for an Italian woman. She saved three match points as Wozniacki served for victory before finally going down in nearly two and a half hours.
Federer, bidding for a 17th Grand Slam title, was majestic in the one-hour, 47-minute win, his seventh of eight against Wawrinka.
“I think it was a good match for me really, I started off well,” said Federer. “I was able to serve and return really well. I didn’t expect myself to do that because last time I played him he was really able to get the free points.
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“There are no secrets out there for him or me. It may have been more of a battle for him since he had won his last two matches at night ... I had to fight really hard, Stan has played an amazing tournament.”
The world number two is to play in his eighth straight Australian Open semifinal, facing Novak Djokovic, who put out Tomas Berdych, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
The Serb won 12 of the last 15 games on the way to victory. “He’s difficult when he's in his comfort zone,” said the winner. “The second set was very close, I was lucky to get the win in the tiebreak. “It was a huge confidence boost to win the second set. I relaxed a bit and could go for my shots.”