Tomas Berdych had to work hard to overcome David Ferrer in four sets in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Having not dropped a set or a service game on his way to the last eight, the Czech seventh seed's flawless run came to an end, but he still posted a 6-1 6-4 2-6 6-4 victory in three hours and four minutes at Rod Laver Arena.
The result marks Berdych's first trip to the semi-finals at Melbourne Park, with the match against Ferrer his fourth consecutive quarter-final.
Ferrer, the Spanish third seed, fell short of a third semi-final appearance in four years.
Berdych suffered his first break of serve of the tournament in the second set, with Ferrer arresting a break deficit to square it at 4-4, but the former Wimbledon finalist responded immediately – taking the next two games to gain a two-set lead.
Ferrer went down fighting, though, as he broke Berdych again in the sixth game of the third set to give himself a lifeline, and then converted a third break of the match to take the contest to a fourth set.
When Berdych broke again to lead the fourth set, most people would have thought that would be the death knell for the world number three.
But Ferrer still had his chances – he led 0-30 in the eighth game on the Berdych serve, but the Czech found his way out of trouble.
That hold seemed to break the Ferrer resolve, although – true to form – the Spaniard defied a match point on his serve in the ninth game to make Berdych serve for the contest at 5-4.
A nervous Berdych then survived a break point of his own, but advanced when Ferrer failed to return his booming serve once again to seal his spot in the last four.
"I'm playing well," Berdych said. "I'm feeling really good. (And now) I need to rest, I need to prepare, I need to make the same approach as I did in those past matches, really believe in myself, believe in my game.
"Whatever is going to happen on court, I need to be ready for it."
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