Nadal, Serena spearhead push to tennis semi-finals

Rafael Nadal booked an all-Spanish Australian Open semi-final against Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday as Serena Williams clawed back from a set down in searing heat to keep her dreams alive.

• The world number one fought off a determined rear-guard action by battling French six seed Gilles Simon to win 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 as he goes in search of his first title here.
• The victory earns him a crack at Verdasco for a place in the final against Roger Federer or Andy Roddick after the left-hander sent French fifth seed and last year’s runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga packing 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
• “For Spain it is incredible to have two of us in the semi-finals. It means at least one Spaniard will be in the final and we have to happy for that,” said Nadal.
• “But I know it will be a tough match against Fernando.”
• Verdasco, previously best known as Ana Ivanovic’s boyfriend, has shot from nowhere to join a long line of players to make a name for themselves at the year’s opening Grand Slam, powering into his first Major semi in 23 attempts.
• “What I’m thinking right now is that I’m playing good, I’m feeling good,” said Verdasco. “I just think that I can beat anyone.
• “I don’t put a limit in this tournament. I’m in the semi-finals right now and I think that I can lose in the semi-finals but also be in the final or win the tournament.”
• In contrast to Verdasco’s seven-year wait to make the business end of a Grand Slam, Williams booked her 15th Grand Slam semi-final as temperatures soared to 41 degrees Celsius (106 F).
• The roof was finally closed on the Rod Laver Arena and Williams was a beneficiary.
• The three-time champion was a set down to Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova at the time but recovered her composure against the fuming eighth seed to run out a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 winner.
• It earned the experienced American a shot at ice-cool Russian Elena Dementieva, who powered past unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-2.
• The other semi-final sees third seed Dinara Safina play her Russian compatriot Vera Zvonareva.
• Williams looked in serious trouble as she struggled in the first set of her match but was granted a reprieve when the stadium roof was closed early in the second set under the tournament’s extreme heat policy.
• The 28-year-old admitted the move made a huge difference.
• “I was in a lot of trouble today but I just relaxed and I really wanted to fight and at least go three sets,” she said.
• “I said ‘Serena you can do it’ — it’s when I play my best.”
• Despite making the last four, she said she was yet to hit top form.
• “It’s really encouraging (to win) because this whole tournament I felt I’ve been off and I haven’t been playing my best,” she said.
• Kuznetsova handled the heat better but could not cope with the pressure generated by the nine-time Grand Slam champion, failing at crucial moments in the match.
• The Russian was angry that they were ordered off court for the roof to be shut while she had a grip on the match.
• “Yeah, I was definitely angry. Why should I not be? The game was going my way,” said the 2004 US Open champion.
• Dementieva, who is now on a 15-match unbeaten streak, was untroubled by giantkiller Suarez Navarro, who knocked out Venus Williams in the second round.
• But she was not happy after playing her entire match, which preceded the Williams-Kuznetsova clash, with the roof open.
• “Why not close the roof? Not only for the players, but for the spectators, as well,” she said.
• “I think if you have a roof, why not use it?”
• She was nevertheless relieved to overcome the dangerous Suarez Navarro and set up a showdown with Williams.
• “You don’t know what to expect from her. All the matches that we play, all the last three matches, were completely different games,” she said of Williams.