Kerber faced three set points trailing 5-2 in the second, and two more at 5-4, but turned the set in her favour by cutting loose and swinging for the fences, storming home to clinch the match and setting up a semi-final against Briton Johanna Konta.
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Kerber is the first German into the last four at the Australian Open since Anke Huber in 1998.
“I’ll be going out there to win the match, to be aggressive, take my first chances I can get”.
Konta – now British number one – has stated she once made her elder half-sister cry during a game of Monopoly. “I’ve really enjoyed the battles, I think that has been a really good experience”.
Konta will face Angelique Kerber for a place in the final.
She is now third in the all-time list after moving three clear of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova’s 18 but she remains short of Australian Margaret Court, who is out in front on 24.
Both players looked nervous as they frantically bounced about for the pre-match coin toss but it was Konta who settled fastest, out-powering her opponent for the early break.
“I gave everything on court”.
Following that, defending champion Serena Williams will attempt to stay in the hunt for a seventh singles title when she plays Agnieszka Radwanska.
The set would stay on serve until 5-5 where Kerber gained the final break of the set, when Konta’s forehand was hit into the net.
She is the first British female in a grand slam semi-final since Jo Durie lost in the last four at the 1983 US Open and the first at the Australian Open since Sue Barker in 1977.
After three straight breaks started the set, Konta regained control following a forehand forward to knock off a smash for 3-1.
Pullin, head coach at Pavilion and Avenue, warned: “If Johanna is down a bit on her best, at that level you can be caught out”.
“She was constantly messaging me, so I saw her more often”, Konta said.
The pure dominance with which Serena Williams has reached the Australian Open final is frightening. “Right now in this moment alone it’s a great opportunity for me”.
Djokovic advances to the finals, where he will face either No. 2 seed Andy Murray or No. 13 seed Milos Raonic. The 25-year-old Canadian beat Gael Monfils 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a night match, continuing his strong form that has seen him beat Roger Federer in the Brisbane International final and French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round here.
“I’m not even angry because I know she was just playing too good today”, Radwanska said.
Stung by dropping the first set, Azarenka broke Kerber immediately as the German lost focus, and then held serve to love as they traded blistering groundstrokes, probing for an opening.
Earlier today, just as Kerber began her match with Azarenka, the governing bodies of tennis announced they will commission an independent review of their anti-corruption unit to restore “public confidence in our sport”. “She was just telling me that I’m on a good way and trying to, yeah, giving me positive comments that I should believe in myself and everything is good.” .
With the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena because of rain showers in the area, Williams broke Radwanska’s service to open the match and was rarely troubled in the 21-minute first set.
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Konta’s career has taken her from Sydney to Eastbourne – via Gijon, Texas and Barcelona.
