Australian Open Semi-finals preview

The last four of the year’s first Major is upon us. This is it. The fight to be a player in the business of what this professional lark is all about, the Grand Slams. The line up is a mix of the vets and the next gen, the guys on the verge of a nervous breakthrough and the legends of the game. The tennis review does its best to predict what will go down in what is one of the most exciting and intriguing bunch of last fours in a while.

Women’s:
Ni La vs E. Bouchard
Li Na is looking like an Australian champion in the making. She has had the tough early round test champions have to overcome on their way to the title, her comeback from match point down against Safarova satisying that criteria. She has played some outstanding the challenge to wipe the floor with strong opponents in Makarova and Pennetta. She has also been to two finals here and must feel with the draw as open as it is that she is the player most prepared to win it. Bouchard will have a few things to say about that, of course. Like many a prodigy before her, Eugenie’s uninhibited and bold play has seen her make her first semi-final on her fourth attempt. The semi-final should not scare her either. Bouchard believes she belongs and she does. Expect both women to move into the court, go for their shots and take risks but for Li Na’s experience and great form to prevail.
Prediction: Li Na to win a tight two setter

A.Radwanska versus D.Cilbulkova
These two have had very different matches the last 3 times they have played. A year back in Sydney, Radwanska double bagelled Cikbukova in the final. Then in Stanford, Cibulkova beat Radwanska in three tough sets. A few months later in Tokyo, Radwanska straight setted the Slovakian. So this match could go anyway. Based on their form this tournament, both women are playing very well. Both have beaten tough opponents in Sharapova and Aazarenka. Radwanska may have the mental edge though. Her defeat of Azarenka came after a string of losses at Vika’s hands and the way she played in the third set, as good a set as any woman has played on Rod Laver arena, will have given her no end of confidence. She also has the experience of making it through a slam semi in Wimbledon 2012. And her experience of losing to Lisicki in last year’s Wimbledon semi might be the demon to drive her past the finish line.
Prediction: Radwanska to win in three.

Men’s
S.Wawrinka versus T.Berdych
Stan has gotten the better of Tomas in their last 3 meetings, including one at the US Open. The Swiss is also coming off the back of a career best win over Djokovic. But Berdych is playing very well and will be confident he can win. He certainly has all the tools with his flat groundies and aggressive game. Both men will go for broke and believe in themselves which, added to both men being in great form, should make for a great contest. What will make the difference is that Berdych has been to a slam semi before and made it through, against Djokovic no less, at Wimbledon. Tomas will also be less tired both physically and emotionally, and slightly pumped too after dealing with Ferrer so convincingly, another player against whom he has a negative head to head.
Prediction: Berdych to win in four sets.

R. Federer versus R. Nadal
It is no secret that for Federer to win this he must attack the net as he did against Tsonga and against Murray for the first two sets. And it is also no secret that if he lets up, or freezes might be a better word, Nadal is going to toy with him. The Federer-Nadal rivalry is ripe with examples of Federer coming out firing away aggressively, see the French Open 2006 final for one, only to, dumbfoundingly, think twice and play into Nadal’s hands, being fed high spinning groundies and shanking backhands at the baselines. So which way is it going to go? What we do know is that Federer has been playing at the net for the majority of this Open. We also know that after his third set horror choke against Murray he and Edberg will have had a serious talk about that not happening again. If Federer can come out with his recently and successfully acquired aggressive mindset, and stick to it, he should make the Australian Open final. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? If only, Federer must think over and over, against Nadal, it were.
Prediction: Federer to win in four sets. Two very pretty ones, two cover-your-eyes-and-pray-it’s-all-over-soon ones.