Roger Federer says he yearns for an elusive 18th Grand Slam crown and has proved he’s still competitive at the top level after reaching his 12th Australian Open semi-final in 13 years on Tuesday.
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Goffin did make Federer work harder for the win in the third, despite dropping his serve in the first and fifth games, he did break the third seeds serve in the sixth game but it was not enough to discourage the Swiss ending his masterclass, winning the match and third set 6-4. He advanced 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 over No. 7 Kei Nishikori in the night match on Rod Laver.
The Swiss star idolises him and once famously sobbed on his shoulder as he was presented with the trophy for winning the 2006 Australian Open.
Berdych reached the semifinals at the Australian Open past year before losing to Murray.
The Swiss has built steadily throughout his run at Melbourne Park and the composed nature of his victories against the young pretender Grigor Dimitrov in the third round and Berdych showed he would be more than ready for a last four showdown.
Suarez Navarro will play No. 4-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals.
Djokovic came out on top when the pair played in last year’s finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, and the suspicion remains that the Serbian, six years Federer’s junior, holds the physical advantage over five sets.
Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic closes the afternoon program on the main court when he plays Gilles Simon.
He beat Federer in the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals past year, but Federer was back contending for titles. “I’m expecting a great fight in two days”.
Federer, however, was not prepared to allow the 25-year-old Goffin, who anchored his country to last year’s Davis Cup final against Britain, such leeway when they began their match.
“It’s not something I ever aimed for but when it happens, it’s very special”, Federer said, reports Yahoo News. “Yeah, I think I’ll find some time (to watch) that”, Federer said.
“Tomas has caused me a lot of problems over the years”, Federer said. I was like, ‘Which one?’ ‘The one where you look the one way and play the other way.’ So they have given me advice, if you like, yeah.
Serena Williams again highlights the women’s side and she will be hotly favoured to reach her 10th Australian Open quarter-final against Russia’s world number 58, Margarita Gasparyan.
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Berdych said the 17-time grand slam champion simply outplayed him in the last-eight clash.
