A fired up Roger Federer has booked his 14th Australian Open semi-final appearance, the defending champion defeating Czech Tomas Berdych in straight sets.
The Swiss maestro butted heads with the chair umpire during a feisty opening set on Wednesday night but regrouped to claim a 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 6-4 victory in just two hours and 14 minutes.
An early break had Berdych up 4-1 in the first set with Federer appearing to struggle for rhythm.
Down 3-5, Federer challenged a Berdych serve but was unable to survey the evidence due to a faulty hawk-eye video display.
Roger Federer fired up during his semi final match against Czech Tomas Berdych at Wednesday’s Australian Open
The Swiss tennis star challenged a serve from his opponent, but was not able to examine evidence due to a faulty camera
Advised that the call had gone against him and he had lost his last remaining challenge, Federer admonished chair umpire Fergus Murphy in a rare display of annoyance from the ice-cool veteran.
‘You can’t steal my challenge now,’ Federer told the official.
‘Are you comfortable with this? Are you okay with it? You can say ‘okay, he’s already been screwed over once; you don’t want it to happen twice in a row’.
‘It’s your call – you’re the umpire.’
The incident appeared to light a fire under Federer, who won four of the next five games and saved a set point before storming through a tiebreak to take the first set.
Federer continued to exchange words with the chair umpire, sarcastically asking if he could contest a call despite having no challenges remaining.
Federer was advised he had lost the challenge – his final one – and lost his cool at the umpire, asking if the official was comfortable with his decision
But if it was playing on his mind, it didn’t stop him running Berdych ragged with some of his best shot-making of the tournament.
Prowling the baseline and approaching the net with aggression, Federer smashed 61 winners – almost three times as many as his opponent – and won 23 points at the net.
‘I hung around. Had to get a bit lucky, a bit angry, a bit frustrated maybe at the umpire,’ Federer said.
‘I actually thought the call was good and probably he was right taking the (challenge) away.
‘I’m happy I got out of the first set. It ended up being the key to the match.’
The anger may have improved Federer’s game, as he went on to take out Berdych in an impressive victory. He won four of the next five games and saved a set point before storming through a tiebreak to take the first set
Federer’s third-round demolition of Berdych last year on the comeback from injury proved to be a defining moment on his way towards an odds-defying fifth Australian Open triumph.
If the same is to be true this year, Federer will need to get past a dangerous opponent in Chung in their first career meeting.
‘He reminds me a lot of Novak (Djokovic) the way he goes forward and backwards,’ Federer said.
‘I’m keen to play against him. He has nothing to lose. I will tell myself the same and see what happens.’
Federer (pictured) is well on his way to taking out his fifth Australian Open title