Federer trounces Murray’s nemesis

Roger Federer has advanced to the Australian Open semifinals with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-2 win over Mischa Zverev, the player who upset top-seeded Briton Andy Murray two nights earlier.

Federer was overpowering at the start, taking a 5-0 lead in just 12 minutes before Zverev held. But the German settled down in the second set and broke Federer’s serve once and was two points away from taking the second set before Federer rallied.

In the third set at 2-2, Federer broke Zverev’s serve with the help of two well-timed lobs and passing shots when Zverev tried to serve and volley as he did against Murray on Sunday.

The Swiss star, who reached his 41st Grand Slam semifinal and his 13th at Melbourne Park, will play compatriot and US Open winner Stan Wawrinka in the semis. Wawrinka earlier beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in straight sets.

Venus Williams has reached a Grand Slam semifinal for the 21st time and will play US compatriot Coco Vandeweghe for a spot in the final.

Williams, 36, beat No 24-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 7-6 (3) yesterday, becoming the oldest player to reach the event’s women’s semifinals in the Open era.

Her 50th career win at Melbourne Park earned her a spot in the last four for the first time in 14 years.

Vandeweghe will be playing her first major semifinal, after using a powerful forehand to dictate play against French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, of Spain, in a 6-4, 6-0 win.

She has beaten Grand Slam champions in back-to-back matches at Melbourne Park after her upset over topranked German Angelique Kerber, who won the Australian and US titles last year.

Williams has advanced through the tournament without dropping a set, and isn’t ready to stop there.

“It’s wonderful to start the year out with this appearance,” said Williams, who hadn’t reached the semifinals in Australia since 2003, the year she lost the final to her sister, Serena.

“I want to go further. I’m not happy just with this.”

Williams dropped four service games against Pavlyuchenkova but responded each time by breaking back. In the tiebreaker, she trailed 3-1 before winning the last six points — clinching the match on Pavlyuchenkova’s double-fault.