MELBOURNE, Australia – Two-time runner-up Andy Murray moved into the semifinals of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Kei Nishikori early today.
Murray will next meet either defending champion Novak Djokovic or No. 5 David Ferrer.
Former and reigning Wimbledon winners Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova will meet in the women’s semifinals after both won in straight sets.
Sharapova beat fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova, 6-2, 6-3. Makarova knocked out five-time champion Serena Williams in the previous round.
Kvitova earlier reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time with a 6-4, 6-4 win over unseeded Italian Sara Errani.
Kvitova beat Sharapova in last year’s Wimbledon final to claim her first Grand Slam title.
“Obviously it was a tough one at Wimbledon,” Sharapova said. “She’s full of confidence and playing the best tennis right now. I look forward to it.”
Sharapova and Kvitova also kept alive their chances of claiming the top ranking, which Caroline Wozniacki will vacate after her quarterfinal loss to Kim Clijsters.
The fourth-seeded Sharapova must repeat her 2008 Australian title win. Kvitova only has to match or better the run of Victoria Azarenka, the only other player still in the running this week for the No. 1 spot.
On the men’s side, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal advanced Tuesday to a marquee semifinal.
Federer beat 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, in 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 will be their 27th in all and 10th at a major, but their first in a Grand Slam semifinal since 2005.
Del Potro is one of two men who have beaten Federer in a major final. The other is Nadal, who has done it six times.
There’s a touch of extra tension this time in this usually cordial rivalry. Nadal had told reporters during a discussion about player discontent that Federer liked to protect his reputation as a gentleman by saying nothing negative in public and letting others “burn.”
Both have since played down the comments. Federer said it didn’t damage their relationship.
“No. No. Honestly, no,” he said. “It was here for one day and then gone again. I’m happy about that because it didn’t deserve more attention than it did. So for me, it’s another great match with Rafa. … Obviously I’d like to play Rafa because of our great epic match earlier in the finals here a few years ago.”
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