(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)
The first finalists in the main draw at the Australian Open tennis tournament will be revealed today.
Kristina Kukolja previews matches on Day 11 of play at Melbourne Park.
(Click on audio tab above to listen to this item)
In the first of the men's singles semi-finals, Stanislas 'the Stanimal' Wawrinka of Switzerland will take on the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych for a place in the 2014 Australian Open final.
Ranked in the world's top ten, Berdych is playing in his 11th Australian Open, but has only this year reached the semi-finals for the very first time.
The 28-year-old former Wimbledon finalist took out Spain's third seed David Ferrer in the quarter-finals.
He told reporters after that match about how he usually prepares to go on court.
"I do my warm-up, then eat, and then if there is still time I just go and have a 20,30 minute nap. Then I start to prepare myself with the tapes, and then going [to] the match. But not reading, just some music in the morning on the way here to the club."
Waiting for him across court on Thursday will be Swiss eighth seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who is fighting to enter his first Grand Slam final.
Wawrinka outplayed defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia earlier this week in yet another thrilling five-set quarter final match.
He leads Berdych 8-5 in head-to-head competition, although Berdych won their last meeting at the ATP World Tour Finals in London last year.
Berdych was also better at their only meeting at the Australian Open in 2009.
But Wawrinka warned his opponent he's matured as a player in the years since.
"It [started] since many years, but especially last year I had a big jump with that. I trust myself when I go on court. I know that I can beat those players. I try everything to beat them. Even when I lost I go back to practice to try to improve, and that's my line in general in my tennis career. So, I'll keep going and doing the same things."
In the women's singles semi-finals on Thursday, China's fourth seed Li Na takes on Canadian rising star Eugenie Bouchard.
Bouchard, who is ranked 31st in the world and is 12 years younger than the 31-year-old Li, celebrated a career milestone when she ousted Serbia's 14th seed, Ana Ivanovic to reach the final four.
She is the first woman since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1991 to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open while debuting at the event.
Her opponent Li Na, twice a finalist in Melbourne, has made it to the second week of the tournament for the sixth time.
"If you come to the semis or the second week more people [are] even more interested about you. Especially the way you practice. More people come to see you, what do you do. First week [there are] so many players in there. Yeah, I think, more attention around you. For me, I always try to do the same when [0 start the first match, till the end."
Having lost to Li Na in their only meeting in Montreal in 2012, Bouchard says she feels confident going into this match.
"You know I always believe in my ability and that's why it's two sets to win a match, You never know what can happen. So, no matter what's going to happen I'm just going to try my best. And even if I'm down I always fight."
Completing the finalist line-up in the women's singles draw will be the winner of Thursday's match between Polands fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska and number 20 seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
To reach her first Australian Open semi-final Radwanska sent home two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the round of eight.
Cibulkova eliminated 11th seed, Romanian Simona Halep, to set up her match with the Pole.
The two have played one another six times, with Radwanska winning all but one of the matches.
She says she'll give it her best in the semi-final against Cibulkova.
"Of course going on court and [not being] nervous is tough, so I think in the beginning of the match its always a little bit tough, especially the first semi-final, but hopefully after a few games Im going to be myself and play my best tennis."
Share
