Fed faces Chung semi test as Kerber, Halep shine
ROGER Federer yesterday zeroed i n on a 20t h Gra nd Slam title, with Chung Hyeon next in his Austra lia n Open f i r i ng l i ne, a s dom i n a nt Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep raced into a semifina l showdown.
T he c l i n i c a l S w i s s a c e st rode i nto t he l a st fou r at Melbour ne Pa rk for a 14t h time wit h a clinica l 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-4 dismantling of old foe Tomas Berdych.
He now faces Chung on Friday for a place in the final after the unseeded South Korean kept his dream run going by battling past American Tennys Sandgren 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to become the lowest-ranked semifinalist since Marat Safin in 2004.
Germany’s Kerber, champion two years ago, swept aside Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2, easily taming the American’s big serve and will go into her clash with the world No1 on a 14-match winning run.
Top seed Halep was equally impressive on Rod Laver Arena i n t humping si x t h seed Ka rol i na Pl i skova 6-3, 6 -2, reel i ng of f ni ne ga mes i n a row after going 0-3 behind in t he f irst set.
Defending champion Federer, chasing a si xt h Austra lia n tit le, held a 19-6 lead over t he Czech 19t h seed goi ng i nto t he match, a nd a f ter a close f irst set, it was one-way t ra f f ic.
“I’m very happy I got out of that first set, it was key to the match in the end,” he said, adding that he was excited to now be up against Chung.
“It’s great to see new names on the scene. He reminds me a lot of Novak [Djokovic].”
Ranked 58, the bespectacled Chung, nicknamed “The Professor”, proved too hot for his fellow quarterfinal rookie Sandgren, although he needed six match points before claiming victory.
“I never played in the second week of a Grand Slam, so I’m really surprised,” said the delighted Suwon native, who is the first player – man or woman – from his country to reach the semifinal of a Grand Slam tournament.
“I’m just tr ying to stay focused,” added the 21-yearold as he prepares to face Federer, having already knocked out an injured Djokovic.
Sa ndg ren, who wiped his Twitter account ahead of the game after being dogged by controversy over his politica l v iews, pa id t r ibute to t he Korean.
“He’s a fa ntastic player,” he said, adding that he was a lso upbeat about his own future after a brea kthrough tournament. “I’m excited about that. Hopefully I can keep play ing well.”
‘Trying to find the feeling’
Kerber, who won the title in 2016, is in scintillating form after an unbeaten singles campaign in the Hopman Cup and her triumph in the Sydney International warm-up.
Keys was expected to be a stiff challenge, having not dropped a set en route to the quarters, but she melted under t h e Ge r man’s r e l e n t l e s s groundstrokes and pinpoint return of serve.
“I’m just trying to find the feeling back I had like 2016,” said Kerber, who had a forgettable 2017 after winning not only in Australia but also the US Open in 2016.
“Madison is a hard hitter, and she served good. So I was trying to play from the first point aggressive and moving good and also bringing a lot of balls back.”
The win ensures Kerber, seeded 21, will move back into the world’s top 10.
Halep is next for her today, with the nuggety Romanian taming towering Czech Pliskova’s serve to scamper into the last four for the first time in Melbourne.
“I didn’t have the best start, but I restarted after three games. I stopped missing so much and moved better,” said Halep, who showed no signs of the ankle injury that has been troubling her in previous rounds.
She is wary of Kerber and vowed to “stay calm and play like I did today”.
“I have the plan in my head. I know most of the time where she’s hitting. That’s why maybe I can win against her,” she said.