Federer wakes from slumber to beat Davydenko

Melbourne: World No.1 Roger Federer overcame a sluggish start before advancing to the Australian Open semi-finals with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 victory over in-form Russian Nikolay Davydenko on Wednesday.

Down a set and a break in the second, the Swiss top seed turned the match in the blink of an eye, winning 13 consecutive games to take the next two sets and a 2-0 lead in the fourth as Davydenko was left chasing shadows around the Rod Laver Arena.

Sixth-seeded Davydenko rallied, however, breaking serve twice and saving a match point to claw back into contention, but was broken again at 5-5, allowing Federer to calmly serve out the match and seal it with a forehand winner.

Federer, beaten by Rafa Nadal in the last year's final, has now reached 23 successive Grand Slam semi-finals since being knocked out of the third round of the French Open in 2004.

He will meet either France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who meet in a replay of their 2008 final in the late match on Rod Laver Arena.

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