Melbourne, Australia: Tomas Berdych dominated early and then withstood a comeback attempt by third-seeded David Ferrer in a 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win Tuesday that earned him a spot in the Australian Open semifinals for the first time.
No. 7 Berdych will play the winner of Tuesday's later quarterfinal between three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka.
Berdych clinched the 3-hour, 4-minute match on his second match point when Ferrer's return of serve went wide. The 2010 Wimbledon champion has now reached the semifinals of every major, breaking a sequence of three quarterfinal defeats at Melbourne Park.
Berdych has now won three of his last five matches against Ferrer, a long-time top five contender.
