Aussie Open - Semifinal Match-Ups

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(2) Rafael Nadal (Spain) vs (3) Roger Federer (Switzerland)

Photo Credit: news.sveyo.com

Nadal and Federer will face off for the 27th time when they meet in the Australian Open semifinals. Nadal owns a 17-9 edge in the series including a 5 set win in the 2009 Australian Open Final. 2009 was the only time that Nadal has reached the finals of the Australian Open. It is the only Grand Slam Final in which he hasn't appeared multiple times. Federer is a 4 time winner at the Australian Open (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010) and is in the semifinals of the tournament for the 9th straight year. Federer has not won a Grand Slam event since the 2010 Australian Open. The two players have combined to lose just one set through the first five rounds of the tournament.

How they got here:

Nadal

1st - Alex Kuznetsov (USA) - 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
2nd - Tommy Haas (Germany) - 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
3rd - Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) - 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
4th - (18) Feliciano Lopez (Spain) - 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
QF - (7) Tomas Berdych (Czech Rep.) - 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3

Federer

1st - Alexander Kudryavtsev (Russia) - 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
2nd - Andreas Beck (Germany) - Walkover
3rd - Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) - 7-6, 7-5, 6-3
4th - Bernard Tomic (Australia) - 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
QF - (11) Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) - 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

(1) Novak Djokovic (Serbia) vs (4) Andy Murray (Great Britain)

Photo Credit: tennisgrandstand.com

Djokovic and Murray will meet for the 11th time in a rematch of last year's Australian Open Final. Djokovic won 3 of the 4 Grand Slams last year including the Australian Open and owns a 6-4 advantage in the series although Murray did win the last time out when Djokovic was forced to retire in the second set during the ATP World Tour. Murray, despite being ranked 4th in the world has never won a Grand Slam. He has lost in the Finals 3 times including the last two Australian Opens.


How they got here:

Djokovic

1st - Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) - 6-2, 6-0, 6-0
2nd - Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) - 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
3rd - Nicolas Mahut (France) - 6-0, 6-1, 6-1
4th - Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) - 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
QF - (5) David Ferrer (Spain) - 6-4, 7-6, 6-1

Murray

1st - Ryan Harrison (USA) - 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
2nd - Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) - 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
3rd - Michael Llodra (France) - 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
4th - Mikhail Kukushkin (Russia) - 6-1, 6-1, 1-0, Retired
QF - (24) Kei Nishikori (Japan) - 6-3, 6-3, 6-1

WOMEN'S

(11) Kim Clijsters (Belgium) vs (3) Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)

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Clijsters, last year's Australian Open winner, is back in the semifinals after suffering through an injury plagued 2011 that caused her to miss Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. She'll take on the younger Azarenka for the 6th time in her career. Clijsters owns a 4-2 advantage in the series, but Azarenka won in straight sets last time the two played at the WTA Sony Ericsson Open in Miami last March. Azarenka, ranked 3rd in the world, has never advanced to a Grand Slam Final before. This will be her second career Grand Slam semifinal appearance having also played in the 2011 Wimbledon semis. Clijsters is in pursuit of her 8th career Grand Slam title.


How they got here:

Clijsters

1st - Maria Joao Koehler (Portugal) - 7-5, 6-1
2nd - Stephanie Foretz Gacon (France) - 6-0, 6-1
3rd - (20) Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) - 6-3, 6-2
4th - (15) Li Na (China) - 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
QF - (1) Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) - 6-3, 7-6

Azarenka

1st - Heather Watson (Great Britain) - 6-1, 6-0
2nd - Casey Dellacqua (Australia) - 6-1, 6-0
3rd - Mona Barthel (Germany) - 6-2, 6-4
4th - Iveta Benesova (Czech Rep.) - 6-2, 6-2
QF - (8) Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) - 6-7, 6-0, 6-2

(2) Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) vs (4) Maria Sharapova (Russia)

Photo Credit: craighickmanontennis.blogspot.com

This is just the third time that these two players have met including last year's Wimbledon final that Kvitova won in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. Overall Kvitova has won 2 of the 3 meetings. Winner of the 2011 WTA Player of the Year Award, the Most Improved Player and the Czech Athlete of the Year Award, this is the farthest Kvitova has ever advanced at the Australian Open. Sharapova meanwhile won the Australian Open back in 2008, but the 2011 Wimbledon Final is the only Grand Slam Final she's been in since. Sharapova has 3 career Slam titles.



How they got here:

Kvitova

1st - Vera Dushevina (Russia) - 6-2, 6-0
2nd - Carla Suarez-Navarro (Spain) - 6-2, 2-6, 6-0
3rd - (27) Maria Kirilenko (Russia) - 6-0, 1-0, Retired
4th - (21) Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) - 6-2, 7-6
QF - Sara Errani (Italy) - 6-4, 6-4

Sharapova

1st - Gisela Dulko (Argentina) - 6-0, 6-1
2nd - Jamie Hampton (USA) - 6-0, 6-1
3rd - (30) Angelique Kerber (Germany) - 6-1, 6-2
4th - (14) Sabine Lisicki (Germany) - 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
QF - Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) - 6-2, 6-3