Four-time champion Roger Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 Tuesday to advance to the Australian Open semifinals for the ninth consecutive year.
Federer improved his career mark against del Potro to 8-2. One of the losses came at the 2009 US Open final when del Potro won in five sets to end Federer's 40-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows.
On Tuesday, del Potro didn't help himself by double-faulting on set point to hand Federer the opening set.
In the semifinals, Federer will play the winner of the later match between No. 2 Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych.
Third-seeded Victoria Azarenka reached the Australian Open semifinals when she held her nerve despite trouble with her serve in a 6-7 (0), 6-0, 6-2 win over No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska on Tuesday.
It was only her second win in six Grand Slam quarterfinals. She's never gone further than the semis, and next meets the winner of Tuesday's later match between No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki and defending champion Kim Clijsters.
The 22-year-old Belarusian extended her winning streak this season to 10 matches, including a title at Sydney where she beat Radwanska in the semifinals.
''I'm really glad I could stay tough and finish the match,'' she said. ''I'm just really happy to be in the semifinals to give it all out there.''
Azarenka had only 4 hours, 49 minutes on court and lost just 12 games in her first four rounds. But she had six double-faults and made 38 unforced errors in a match lasting two hours against Radwanska.
The first set featured eight service breaks and there were 15 overall in the match. Azarenka's double-fault helped give Radwanska a 6-0 lead in the tiebreaker, followed by a wild errant backhand by Azarenka on set point.
But Azarenka, who can attain the No. 1 ranking by the end of the tournament, won the next seven games to set her on course for the victory as the temperature increased to 94 degrees at Rod Laver Arena.
Radwanska is now 0-5 in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Five-time champion Serena Williams is already out of the tournament, her 17-match winning streak at the Australian Open ending in a shocking 6-2, 6-3 loss to No. 56-ranked Ekaterina Makarova on Monday.
