Australian Open 2012: Maria Sharapova expecting a tough encounter in semi-final against Petra Kvitova

Sharapova was the more impressive of the two today, a ruthlessly efficient display accounting for Makarova, who acquitted herself well in her first grand slam quarter-final.

"It was solid today," said Sharapova. "I thought she was going to play well coming off a big win, probably the biggest of her career.

"It was really important for me not to give her too much of a look at the open court. I really wanted to take advantage of my game and improve from the previous match and I think I stepped up when I had to."

In a match of hard-hitting baseline rallies, fourth seed Sharapova possessed the greater accuracy, particularly at the key moments, to move through 6-2 6-3.

The 2008 champion here, Sharapova has made smooth progress through the draw with her only dropped set coming against Sabine Lisicki in round four.

Indeed, the only shadow being cast over her tournament is the issue of grunting which has again been raised with Sharapova and her fellow semi-finalist Victoria Azarenka singled out as the worst offenders.

Agnieszka Radwanska, beaten by Azarenka in the last eight yesterday, spoke out after her loss and expressed hope the WTA would take action.

When asked about Radwanska's comments, Sharapova snapped: "Isn't she back in Poland already?

"I've been the same over the course of my career. No one important enough has told me to change or do something different."

Kvitova overcame a mid-match slump to beat Errani 6-4 6-4.

With her big-hitting game, the match was always going to be played on Kvitova's terms. And so it proved as the rallies were won or lost by the lanky left-hander with Errani simply trying to make it as difficult as possible for her opponent.

And for the most part she did a good job.

With service holds at a premium, the opening set came down to Kvitova's consistency and she held it together long enough to claim it in 53 minutes.

And she looked on her way to a routine win when she claimed the Errani serve at the start of the second.

But the Italian, also appearing in the last eight at a major for the first time, had other ideas as Kvitova's game started to disintegrate.

The number of unforced errors from the Czech increased rapidly - she made 44 in the match - and Errani took full advantage, wisely keeping the ball in play and making her opponent play one more shot.

It led to her winning four games on the trot.

But Kvitova, sensing the match was getting away from her, refocused and having held for 2-4, reeled off another four games in a row, reasserting her authority from the baseline.

She admitted afterwards she had struggled with the expectation of playing a lower-ranked opponent.

"At the beginning I was a little nervous because I knew everyone expected it to be an easy match," she said. "And I probably had it in my head that it was a good draw. But Sara played great."

Australian Open: day 10 in pictures

The Murray corner: British No 1's coach Ivan Lendl watches his charge ease into the last two of the Australian Open

Picture: GETTY IMAGES

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Australian Open 2012: Kei Nishikori executes 'hotdog' shot against Andy Murray during quarter-final contest

Nishikori, the first Japanese man through to the last eight in Melbourne for 80 years, may have lost his quarter-final contest, but Murray admitted his rival won most of the more entertaining points including his 'tweener lob'.

Charging back from the net to retrieve a shot during the fourth game of the opening set, Nishikori lobbed Murray from between his legs, then smacked a forehand winner down the line after the British No 1 could only tap a volley harmlessly over the net.

Murray attempted to repeat the trick in the following game but his swiped racket connected only with fresh air as he galloped across the baseline.

Although losing the "fun" points and most of the crowd to the plucky Nishikori, Murray knuckled down for the points that mattered as he wrapped up a dominant 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory to reach his third consecutive Australian Open semi-final.

Australian Open 2012: Novak Djokovic given tough workout by David Ferrer but battles through to semis

The tenacious Ferrer pushed Djokovic hard, manoeuvring him around the court, but the world No 1 stepped up his game when it mattered to win 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 in 2 hours and 44 minutes.

Looking tired at the end of the first set, Djokovic produced a stunning blind, backhand winner at full stretch from the back of the court early in the second, breaking in the first game.

He looked in trouble when he grimaced in pain, clutching his left hamstring as Ferrer levelled at 2-2 but he did not appear to be restricted, going on to take the tiebreak and seize a 2-0 lead.

"Already after a couple of games I was feeling it was going to be a long match," Djokovic said.

"There was a big mental advantage to getting two sets up," he said, adding that he had stepped up his aggression as the match wore on and it paid off."

When quizzed about a possible fitness issue afterwards, Djokovic was giving nothing away.

"You have to hang in there, David is a great competitor and he always makes you hit every shot," he said. "I wasn't feeling very fresh."

Djokovic will take on Murray in Friday's semi-final, a repeat of last year's final which the Serb won in straight sets to clinch the first of three grand slam titles last season.

Australian Open 2012: Andy Murray seeks improvement on serve after swatting aside Kei Nishikori to reach semis

"I have been serving well and been getting a lot of free points on it.

"I'll work on it tomorrow and get the rhythm back."

That was the only facet of his game which required improvement after a commanding display which meant the outcome was never in doubt.

Nishikori gave his all but Murray's greater weight of shot and superior fitness were decisive.

"There were quite a few good rallies. A lot of the long points, the fun rallies he was winning, he came up with some great shots," the Scot said.

"But I was just a little bit more solid and probably had a little bit more in the tank than he did.

"He played three long matches and with the way that he plays he needs to play a lot of long rallies.

"That was to my advantage today."

Nishikori, the first player from Japan to reach the last eight here in 80 years, showed glimpses of his potential but, like Kukushkin, seemed to be suffering for his exertions in previous rounds - he came into the clash having spent four hours more on court than his opponent.

Murray stormed into a 3-0 lead and overcame some nervy moments on serve to claim a first set the Japanese really had to take if he was to cause an upset.

Having traded breaks at the start of the second, Murray won the next two games and also had a point for 4-1 as Nishikori, despite holding on, started to look like he was feeling the pace.

And the 22 year-old from Shimane buckled again when serving to stay in the set.

From two sets down and given his physical condition, a Nishikori comeback was extremely unlikely and so it proved as Murray cruised through to a meeting with world No 1 Novak Djokovic, who advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 victory over fifth seed David Ferrer.

Nishikori admitted to feeling fatigued but insisted that was not a factor in the result.

"Maybe I was a little bit tired," he said. "But I wasn't too bad.

"I just didn't play well enough to beat him. He was making me run side to side all the time and it was tough for me to play longer rallies.

"I wasn't good enough physically or mentally."

As for his clash with Djokovic, a repeat of last year's final won comprehensively by the Serbian, Murray said: "You have to play great tennis and try to take his legs away.

"I will need to have a gameplan, stay focused and try to do better than I did last year."

Australian Open 2012: I struggled to breathe, says Novak Djokovic, after quarter-final victory over David Ferrer

"I'm really fit and I have no concerns of recovering for the next match. It's just a matter of breathing better through the nose."

Given his problems, it was a remarkable performance from Djokovic.

Fifth seed Ferrer, as always, was a game opponent but lacked the weapons to trouble the Serbian, who set up a repeat of last year's final against Murray.

"It was a great match, we played for almost three hours - I think the first 30 minutes was just for the first two games," Djokovic added.

"I was lucky to get out of the second set and that was a big mental advantage to go two sets up."

It was a result which further emphasised the gulf between the top four players and the rest as a struggling Djokovic beat the fifth best player in the world convincingly.

Although evident at the end, there seemed little between them in the early stages as Ferrer matched Djokovic stroke for stroke in some punishing baseline exchanges.

And it took a moment of brilliance from the top seed to break for 3-2 with a stunning forehand.

Despite being pushed when serving for the set he got the job done and then broke in the opening game of the second.

He may have been in command on the scoreboard but Djokovic's demeanour was not that of a man enjoying his evening's work.

Ferrer, perhaps sensing all was not well with his opponent, broke back for 2-2 and the momentum swung further in his favour when Djokovic pulled up sharply in the next game clutching his hamstring.

The top seed battled on though and even broke for a 6-5 lead only for Ferrer to hit straight back.

The tie-break would prove the pivotal moment of the match.

Ferrer led 4-2 but Djokovic showed great resolve to battle back and claim the next five points and finish the set with his first fist pump of the night.

The third set was a cruise as Djokovic finally freed his shoulders and Ferrer wilted.

Earlier, Murray brushed aside the challenge of Kei Nishikori to ease into his third successive semi-final in Melbourne.

The world number four was rarely troubled by the Japanese, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in two hours and 12 minutes, as he maintained his smooth progress through the draw.

Murray will have better days on serve - he got just 44 per cent of first serves into play - but, that aside, there was little room for improvement in a good all-round performance.

"It was a good match, a lot of fun points, most of them he was winning so I was trying to keep them as short as possible," said Murray.

"But I need to serve better, I didn't serve particularly well but the returning was good so that was a positive.

"My game has been getting better each match and I am moving better and I am going to be fresh going into the weekend."

Nishikori, the first player from Japan to reach the last eight here in 80 years, showed glimpses of his potential but, like Murray's previous opponent Mikhail Kukushkin, seemed fatigued by his efforts in previous rounds.

The 22 year-old from Shimane had spent four hours more on court than Murray in reaching this stage and it showed.

Australian Open 2012: Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic head-to-head

The Serb swept aside his first three opponents but did have a surprising wobble in dropping a set to Lleyton Hewitt in round four. The 24 year-old eased past fifth seed David Ferrer in the quarter-finals, despite saying afterwards he suffered breathing difficulties, and looks fresh again after fading at the end of last season.

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PAST MEETINGS
While Murray would certainly have hoped for an easier opponent than Djokovic, there must be a certain relief for the world No 4 that for once he does not find Rafael Nadal on the other side of the net in a major semi-final.

The pair's amazing tendency to be drawn in the same half, and the Spaniard's frequent success, means Murray has only met Djokovic once before at grand slam level.

That came last year in the final at Melbourne Park, and Murray will be absolutely determined to bury the memory of that day, the most disappointing of his three grand slam final defeats.

The pair have met 10 times before, with Djokovic leading 6-4, but Murray has had plenty of success over the past couple of years and won their most recent meeting to take the title in Cincinnati last summer, albeit through a Djokovic retirement.

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GAME
Murray and Djokovic have been rivals since their junior days and know each other's games inside out. Djokovic admitted himself that the key difference in his superb 2011 season was confidence.

The Serb, a bit like Murray, used to have a tendency to get down on himself very quickly in matches, but the British No 1 is going to have to work extremely hard to get under Djokovic's skin on Friday.

His ability to turn defence into attack is arguably the best the sport has ever seen, a result of his superb movement, and he does not have any discernible weaknesses.

Murray possesses greater variety and must utilise this, while a high first-serve percentage will also be key as cheap points will be worth their weight in gold.

Most of all the British No 1 must believe in himself as, like his clashes with Nadal at this stage, the result is likely to depend on a few key points, and he must be the one who seizes the moment.