Peers and Kontinen in doubles semis

Men's doubles followed the Nadal quarter final win, and Australian pair Sam Groth and Chris Guccione played a quarter final against fourth seeds John Peers (Australia) and Henri Kontinen (Finland).

Peers served first and the team held easily.  Guccione served next and down 15-30 recovered to tie it at 1-1, a Groth volley winner the sealer.

A Kontinen ace highlighted a love game for 2-1

2-2 following a quick hold from Groth.

No one troubled on serve and Peers rolled through another game to take his team to 3-2.  A Kontinen volley took the score to 30-30 on the next Guccione serve and a Peers volley split the other Aussies on court to bring up break point.

A big serve saved it and an ace won the game for 3-3.

A backhand return winner from Groth could not prevent Kontinen holding for 4-3 and Groth continued the trend despite an incredible backhand pick up volley crosscourt from Peers.

5-5 came with big Guccione serving and Kontinen took it to 6-5 with a love game. 

Groth served to stay in the set.  A great volley from Peers won the first point and then Groth mishit a volley into the net.  A forehand from Kontinen forced an error and three set points.  The set was won with a love game and the fourth seeds were ahead 7-5.

Set two and serves were held for five games, Peers and Kontinen leading 3-2.

Guccione served in the sixth game and had 30-0 with a Groth volley put away.  A brilliant return from Kontinen produced an error from Guccione and 30-15.  Another from Peers gave Groth no room and 30-30.  Same again from Kontinen and break point.  A volley exchange ended with Guccione hitting one long.

4-2 with the break and the fourth seeds were flying.

At 5-3 Peers served for the match.  A great Guccione return set up a point finally won with a Groth overhead.  However that was the last point won by the pair and the match was won 7-5 6-3 by the fourth seeds Peers and Kontinen.

They won through to a semi final to play Australian pair Polmans and Whittington.

Nadal powers into semis

Ninth seed Spaniard Rafa Nadal and third seed Canadian Milos Raonic played the last quarter final in the second Wednesday night session.

Nadal had beaten sixth seed Monfils, and Raonic the thirteenth seed Bautista Agut, both in four sets, in their respective round of sixteen matches.

Raonic had beaten Nadal in the last meeting between the pair just two weeks prior in Brisbane.

Raonic served first and soon had 40-15 but a double fault and a Nadal forehand brought it to deuce.  Two more of them before a Canadian service winner won the game.  Nadal evened things mainly due to Raonic mistakes and then the third seed clicked into gear with a love game of his own including an ace and two winners.

2-1 Raonic.

Both were taken to deuce in their next service games, but it was Raonic who was forced to save a break point.  He managed that task by attacking the Spanish backhand successfully to lead 3-2

Nadal stepped it up with a love game, picking on the forehand of Raonic, and then after a service winner from Milos in the seventh game Rafa won four straight points to break the Canadian serve and lead 4-3.  Two winning backhands were a feature of that run.

More winners, forehands this time set Nadal on course to hold and lead 5-3, and while three aces rocketed past him in the ninth game, Nadal confidently served it out after a change of ends 6-4, a forehand smash the sealer.

Raonic began set two with a comfortable service hold but Nadal in reply was anything but comfortable, needing to save a break point and being taken to deuce five times. Games were finally 1-1

Serves were held until at 3-2 Raonic decided a medical time out was necessary.

Not much changed upon his return with both players holding serve well and contributing a high standard of tennis.

Raonic was taken to deuce in the ninth game before moving ahead 5-4 and Rafa saved three set points in the tenth game, the third with a forehand winner.  A backhand squared things at 5-5.

The tie break arrived as it appeared likely for most of the set.

Raonic's backhand volley winner to take him to 4-3 was the first point against serve in the tie break, and he stretched the lead to 5-3 with another winning volley.

A backhand winner from Nadal put things back on serve but a forehand winner from Raonic earned him two set points.

Nadal forced an error to save one but then Raonic was serving at 6-5.  A double fault was a self inflicted body blow.  He recovered to win the next point with a well played smash but Nadal won the final three points and the tie break.

The ninth seed had a two set lead 6-4 7-6.

With plenty of momentum, Nadal opened the third set to love, a couple of backhand winners included.  The Raonic forehand helped him to level at 1-1 but Nadal looked more convincing on serve and he raced to 2-1.

Nadal lost two points on serve in the fifth game, one through a double fault, and Raonic was forced to deuce in the sixth game, but no threats to serve appeared until Raonic served at 4-5, needing to hold for the match to stay alive.

Nadal hit a backhand winner on the first point and it triggered a collapse for Raonic. Backhand errors gave Nadal three match points and only the first was required.  A Canadian volley mistake handed the match to Nadal 6-4 7-6 (7) 6-4.

A pretty complete performance put Rafa Nadal into a semi final to play Dimitrov.

Dimitrov delivering

The men's singles quarter final between 11th seed David Goffin from Belgium and 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria was one that few had predicted, but both had performed well to reach this stage, Goffin knocking out Thiem in four sets and Dimitrov bringing Istomin's run to an end, also in four.

Goffin's double fault and errors in his opening service game, the second of the match, gifted Dimitrov a break and Grigor enjoyed an early 3-0 lead.

Goffin slipped into gear in the fourth game with a pair of winners and held for his first score. 1-3.  

Four break points it took but Goffin finally broke back and games were on serve 2-3.

A love game tied things up at 3-3.  Strong serving including a last point ace took Dimitrov to 4-3.  

A sharp volley from Grigor plus an inside out forehand winner gave him deuce on the Goffin serve and another winner created a break point. An ace neutralised that.  An ace fixed the second one too. The third disappeared through an error off the serve.  The fourth was converted when Goffin found the court too short. 5-3 Dimitrov.

30-30 when Goffin found the net but break back point when Dimitrov did the same. Saved.

Ace and set point. So it was 6-3

A Goffin double fault brought with it two break points and a Dimitrov forehand winner did the rest 1-0.

Two break back points and a tentative shot by Dimitrov didn't make it over 1-1.

Trouble for servers continued as Goffin was down 0-30 but a backhand winner helped a bit. 30-30 arrived but a double fault and break point soon after.  A weak return effort from Dimitrov and deuce.  The second chance was taken and Dimitrov led 2-1.

A service hold for 3-1.

A Dimitrov forehand pass plus a forehand miss by Goffin and it was 30-30, but an ace and return winner made it deuce.  Goffin held, the winning forehand especially noteworthy. 3-2 Dimitrov.

A Dimitrov forehand winner down the line for 30-15 was countered by a Goffin shot that forced a Bulgarian mistake.  The backhand winner from the Belgian was sweet but not for Dimitrov who faced a break point which was averted, not by anything Grigor could do.  Serve was held and the lead 4-2.

A wonderful return and subsequent retrievals saw Dimitrov win the first point off the next Goffin serve, and he drew errors which resulted in two break points.  The second break arrived and Dimitrov would serve for a two set advantage.

Break point for David as he fought to be relevant in the match.  Dimitrov hit a great forehand to save that one.  David set up a second with a spectacular return winner but it disappeared with the forehand into the net.  The third was saved when a backhand found the bottom of the net, and eventually Dimitrov decided to have set point.  Goffin hit a forehand past him at the net to pull it back to deuce.  The second set point was greeted with a forehand pass and Dimitrov indeed led 6-3 6-2.

In the third set Dimitrov had a break chance in the third game and two in the fifth game but Goffin saved each of them, the second of the them in the fifth with an ace. Unhappy at his conversion rate, Dimitrov wasted no time in holding serve to love and drawing level at 3-3.  He wanted another crack at the Belgian serve.

David served an ace for 15-15 then won one of the best rallies of the match with a drop volley.  From 40-15 he lost three points to face break point.  He could not avoid dropping serve for a third game in a row and Dimitrov could smell a semi final now, ahead 2 sets and a break.

Goffin missed a couple of shots that he should have made and then he hit a brilliant winner to save one game point.  Dimitrov still held and led 5-3.

A ripping forehand crosscourt by Dimitrov and it was 30-30 on the Goffin serve.  Match point came with a netted forehand.  Dimitrov hit it long and deuce.  A second match point.  Deuce again the same way.  Goffin held on and at 5-4 Dimitrov would serve for it.

40-0 and three more match points.  A backhand down the line was the shot that won it.

Grigor Dimitrov into a semi final 6-3 6-2 6-4.  He will play either Milos Raonic or Rafa Nadal.

Serena in hot form

The last quarter final was potentially the best between second seed and six time champ Serena Williams, and ninth seed and last years semi finalist Johanna Konta.

Serena defeated Barbora Strycova in a closely fought fourth round match and Johanna thrashed Ekaterina Makarova, as she has most of her opponents this Aus Open.

The two had never played each other before.

Serena served first and the pair shared winners for the opening two points before Serena won the game with an ace to lead 1-0.  A love game from Konta and 1-1.

Break point after a double fault and great ground strokes from Konta.  Saved by Williams, and she held for 2-1.  However the forehand of Konta was in fine shape and Williams would need to be wary of it as the match progressed.

Serena showed her forehand to be just as potent and had Johanna down two break points.  An ace saved the first but a backhand into the net presented the first break to the American. 3-1 Williams.

The break was consolidated 4-1.

A backhand return winner off the Williams racquet wasn't enough to prevent the Konta hold and 4-2.  

A British backhand winner had an equivalent American response and the ace and forehand completed a slick game, putting the second seed within a game of the set. 5-2.

Konta continued attacking, and her tennis was generally of a high standard.  Just that one lapse in the fourth game had brought her undone.

A series of winners from Williams eventually pushed her to a set point and Konta relented with her final shot flying long.  6-2 and Williams raising the bar as the tournament reached its final stages, as she had for so many years.

Konta and Williams both held serve to begin set two but Williams who was cruising in the third game was surprisingly broken when she double faulted and threw in three errors.  More unforced Williams errors helped Konta consolidate at 3-1.

A pair of aces sealed the next Serena serve and she was close at 2-3, then two forehand blunders compounded by a double fault sent Konta to triple break point.  A Serena forehand confirmed the break and it was back to 3-3.  

A break point for Johanna was lost in the next game and once more Serena finished things with a pair of aces.

At 30-15  in the eighth game Konta was passed with a Williams forehand.  Then an unforced forehand mistake put her down a break point where Serena pounced with a winning backhand.  5-3 and serving for the match.

A love game secured a semi final berth for Serena Williams 6-2 6-3.

Lucic-Baroni into a semi final

First quarter final on Day Ten and Czech fifth seed Karolina Pliskova's opponent was 34 year old Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, unseeded, but with the big upset win over third seed Aga Radwanska in the second round to her credit.  Mirjana made a Wimbledon semi final as a 17 year old

The two haven't played each other since 2015 when they had three meetings, Karolina winning twice, including the most recent in three close sets.

Pliskova defeated Daria Gavrilova in straight sets in the round of sixteen to make her first Aus Open quarter final, while Lucic-Baroni trouble disposing of American qualifier Jennifer Brady, also in two sets.

Mirjana won the toss and served.  After four errors, three to Pliskova, a Lucic-Baroni winner put her on the scoreboard first.

Break point after a Pliskova double fault and error was saved with an ace.  Then another.  Big serving and the game was hers 1-1.

Strong returning from Karolina, including a backhand winner tight in the corner, turned Mirjana's 30-0 into a loss of serve. 2-1 Pliskova.

An ace, an off forehand wrong footer and service winner were enough to stretch the Czech lead to 3-1.   Mirjana's forehand crosscourt and ace were perfect responses to Karolina's beautifully timed lob.  The finishing winner brought the Croatian to 2-3.

The ace machine had temporarily run out of batteries and while she was looking for replacements, Mirjana whipped two forehand winners past her.  Two break points arose from the wreckage this created, and only one could be saved.  3-3.

Mirjana completed a good follow up game and led 4-3, a forehand winner to start and an ace to finish.  Karolina stemmed the flow against her with a solid hold and levelled at 4-4.

At 4-5, it needed something similar to keep the set alive.

Two backhand winners from Mirjana had Karolina in trouble and an unforced error three set points down.  The set was Croatian on the second in a big shock 6-4.

Set two continued in the same fashion with a stack of mistakes from the fifth seed.  1-0 to Mirjana after an easy hold.  The winners were coming fast and furious, and to both sides of a hapless Pliskova, who belted a forehand out of court to drop yet another serve and trail 0-2.

Three unforced errors in the next service game from Lucic-Baroni gave Pliskova break points, one saved by a winner, but not the next, and games were back on serve 1-2.

Trainer called for Pliskova.  A medical timeout was had.

Not able to dominate with her serve, Pliskova did enough to hold and level at 2-2, surviving a couple of clean Mirjana winners.

Mirjana found herself down more break points and once again was a victim of her own mistakes, and a final shot into the net cost her the serve and Karolina had the edge 3-2.

It was handed straight back with a poor service game. 3-3.  Karolina could not win any free points on her serve and it was affecting her total game.

Lucky for Karolina that Mirjana wasn't holding serve any time soon, even with two aces.  4-3 now and a serve to come for Pliskova.  Backhand winners from each player were pretty to watch, but the forehand that Pliskova managed to first reach and then hit crosscourt deep enough to keep her in the final point and eventually win was wonderful.

Maybe it was the spark that not only won her that point and the game, but also the next which was a break for the set 6-3.

This was going to require a decider.

Karolina faced a break point straight away following another winner down the line from Mirjana.  That was saved with a big serve, but a second one couldn't be and Lucic-Baroni had seized back the momentum, leading 1-0 in the third.

Two successive double faults and the break back came 1-1.

Two break points on the Pliskova delivery and a slashing return winner did the trick.  A third break from three tries and this was difficult to predict.  Lucic-Baroni 2-1.

Hitting clean winners to either side of a stunned Pliskova, Lucic-Baroni was 40-0 in a flash.  Pliskova clawed it back to 30-40 but that was all and now the lead was 3-1.

Pliskova sailed through the next game to keep in touch at 2-3.  

Starting with a double fault, it became worse, and a winner from Pliskova brought up three break points.  Two were saved, but the game was Czech and 3-3.

At last Pliskova appeared to have rediscovered her serving ability and it assisted her to take the third set lead for the first time 4-3.

Trainer called - this time for Mirjana.  Medical timeout.

It helped as she won the next four points to hold serve for 4-4.

Love game to break the Pliskova serve and Lucic-Baroni was serving for the match.

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni won 6-4 3-6 6-4.  Medical time outs are amazing things aren't they ?  I think she had a dangerously low level of momentum which needed attention.

French pair into doubles semi

A women's doubles quarter final followed the men's singles quarter final on the second Tuesday night session.

Top seed combination from France Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic clashed with Australia's wild card entry of Casey Dellacqua and Ash Barty.

The French pair had beaten 13th seeds Srebotnik and Zheng in the third round to reach here, and the Aussie's had removed unseeded Groenefeld and Peschke.

Both wins were in straight sets.

Barty served first and held easily.  Garcia was broken, unforced errors the teams main problem, a Barty forehand winner the final point. 2-0 Australia.

3-0 with a Dellacqua forehand winner the highlight.

Mladenovic served a timely strong game and the French pair were on the board 1-3.

Casey won a net exchange and Ash hit a forehand crosscourt and ace for a love game and 4-1.  Garcia was broken a second time despite hitting a fine running forehand winner.

Dellacqua served for the set at 5-1 and had no trouble.  A great start for the team 6-1 against the top ranked pair.

The French pair swapped sides, Garcia taking the deuce court, for the second set, hoping it would change their fortunes.  Mladenovic held serve and it was 1-0.

A wayward forehand from Barty and 30-30 but an ace gave her game point and she levelled at 1-1

Garcia held serve for the first time in the match, and 2-1 France.  Dellacqua tied it up at 2-2.  The top seeds were now looking more dangerous and after an easy Mladenovic service hold,  the break came.  Garcia and Mladenovic winners produced two break points and only one was necessary. 4-2.

A solid service game from Garcia pushed it out to 5-2, and a love game against the Dellacqua serve presented the set to France 6-2.  It was a set apiece.

Mladenovic served an ace to seal the opening game of the decider.  Errors were becoming a little too frequent for the Australians and they faced a break point on the Barty serve when Garcia hit a winning forehand.  That was saved but another was created with a Mladenovic volley splitting the middle. The same player hit a forehand winner down the line and France led 2-0.

The French pair were controlling the net and Garcia raced through her serve to give the team a 3-0 advantage.  Dellacqua held serve thanks to two top volleys from Barty.

1-3.

Mladenovic maintained her perfect record on serve for the match and the lead was 4-1.  

Two break points on the Barty serve came through brilliant returning, especially from Mladenovic.  One was saved.  Not the next, and 5-1 with Garcia to serve for the match.

Superb finishing at the net by Mladenovic, backing up the solid serve of Garcia brought up two match points.  

It was over 1-6 6-2 6-1.

Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic through to a semi final to play 12th seeds Hlavackova and Peng.

Federer untroubled in quarter final

The second men's quarter final of Aus Open 2017, played at night on the second Tuesday of the tournament, featured 17th seed Roger Federer against unseeded German Mischa Zverev, the Andy Murray giant killer.  Federer had Tomas Berdych to play with as you would a favourite toy in the third round, in preparation for the real tennis which he needed to play against fifth seed Kei Nishikori in the fourth round.

It lasted five sets, but apart from the first handful of games, and despite losing two sets, Federer never really looked like losing the match.

No one in their right mind should have expected Mischa to be able to back up again and pull off another major upset against Federer who has been in pretty good form.  

However, my predictions had been uncannily inaccurate this past week or so, and from that Roger would have alarm bells ringing.

Federer had a 2-0 head to head record coming into the quarter final, and would have been banking on the form from the last meeting in Halle continuing.  6-0 6-0 was a useful win and just because it was on grass and in 2013 doesn't change the fact that it emotionally scarred Mischa for life.

Federer served a love game and fired three successive winners past a statue like Zverev to break and lead 2-0.

A Swiss double fault and a German volley winner put Roger at 0-30 which was rectified smartly, an ace and forehand volley assisting I the retrieval.  3-0.

The best serve volleyers know when it is advisable to stay back rather than charge the net, because while coming in behind a shot which has been hit deep or has pushed your opponent wide is sensible, attacking the net behind rubbish is crazy.

Mischa was being indiscriminate and coming to the net almost as a ritual, and it cost him again in the fourth game, Federer passing him for four more winners, breaking him to take a 4-0 lead and effectively put set one beyond doubt.

A love game and the seventeenth seed was a game away from the set in just 12 minutes of what was supposed to be a tennis match.

For the sake of everyone and everything, Mischa held serve, and even pushed Roger to deuce as he served for the set.  That was the only ground prepared to be ceded by Federer and an ace and volley winner restored his superiority 6-1 in about twenty minutes.

A different looking approach thankfully from Zverev in set two and it bore fruit in game one as he forced Federer into error on occasion with his better mix of serve volley game.  Serve held and 1-0.

Zverev replied to Federer's ace with two forehand winners, before three Swiss winners shut him up and made it 1-1.  A love game on serve was proof of Mischa's real interest in the match and at 2-1 he had already doubled his games contribution from the set one debacle.

The fourth game was also a love game but to the shock of the world it was to break the almighty's serve.  At 1-3 Roger was embarrassed into action and with backhand and forehand winners had Mischa at 0-30.  Two break points came and a forehand smash saved one, but Federer broke back on the second. 2-3.

Take. To 30-30 in his next two service games Federer managed to avoid break point trouble in either and 4-4 was the result.

Zverev took it to 5-4 with a love game and stuffed up a backhand at 30-30 on the next Federer serve.  That point was critical and of course Federer evened it up 5-5.

Zverev fell into some set one habits and from 0-30 Federer hit two backhand winners, breaking to love and leading 6-5.

Federer was quickly to three set points. Zverev saved two with clean winners before Federer forced a mistake and won a two set advantage 6-1 7-5.

Zverev saved a break point in the opening game of set three and games went with serve until 2-2.

The fifth game was key.  Zverev served and had 30-0 before winners from Federer tied it at 30-30.  Break point came on the back of an unforced Zverev error.  It was saved with a volley winner.  Game point was zapped with a Federer backhand.and two more Swiss winners broke the German serve.

Serving again at 2-4, Zverev had 40-15.  Two Federer winners brought it to the first of an amazing ten deuces in the game.  On the sixth break point it was a backhand winner that achieved the break for Federer and he would serve at 5-2 for the match.

Two aces and it was seemingly seconds from victory.  Three errors, two unforced, delayed celebrations, and Federer needed to address a break point.  He did, with an ace.  A service winner and forehand winner followed and a semi final spot was his.

Roger Federer the victor 6-1 7-5 6-2 and will play Stan Wawrinka in an all Swiss semi final.