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Day Nine Preview

01/23/2012 10:54:58 AM

A rematch of the 2009 US Open final between Swiss No.3 seed Roger Federer and Argentine 11th seed Juan Martin Del Potro headlines the start of the quarter-finals on Day Nine of the Australian Open.

The day will start with Belarusian No.3 seed Victoria Azarenka chasing what would be just her second Grand Slam semi-final berth and first at Melbourne Park when she does battle with Polish No.8 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who has never previously been to the last four at a major.

That will be followed by the battle between world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who is likewise still chasing her first Grand Slam title, and Belgian 11th seed Kim Clijsters, the defending champion who also has three US Open trophies in her cabinet.

And the final singles clash of the day pits 10-time major winner and No.2 seed Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard who captured the Melbourne Park title in 2009, taking on Czech Tomas Berdych, who is seeking his first semi-final berth at the year's opening Grand Slam.

In 2009, Federer had only regained his Wimbledon crown a matter of months earlier and was looking to do what he hadn't been able to at the All England Club, take home the trophy at Flushing Meadows for a sixth year in succession.

But just as was the case in the 2008 decider at Wimbledon, when Rafael Nadal outlasted him in an epic five-setter, Del Potro dethroned Federer as they went the distance, twice coming from behind as he claimed his maiden Grand Slam crown.

There won't be quite as much on the line this time as Federer takes a 7-2 win-loss record into the encounter at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday afternoon, having also won their three other duels at Wimbledon (2007), the Australian Open (2009) and the French Open (2009).

"It's going to be tough against Del Potro," Federer said of his next opponent, who he beat in their most recent match in Cincinnati last year.

"I don't look beyond that because he's coming up strong."

"He had a good last year and he played all the top guys again in the last year and pushed us all."

"So I figure six months later since I played him in Cincinnati he's going to be a better player."

"He's got massive potential and he'll be part of the top 10 for probably a long time."

Azarenka will be confident of victory when she continues her campaign against Radwanska, having won seven of their 10 matches to date, including just a couple of weeks ago on her way to the Sydney International title.

This will be just their second meeting at a Grand Slam though, with Radwanska having won the only other one which was actually the first time they met at Wimbledon way back in 2006.

Clijsters and Wozniacki have met on only two previous occasions, with Clijsters prevailing both times, en route to her US Open triumph in 2009 and then again in Doha the following year.

But her chances of beating the Dane may hinge on just how well her ankle stands up after she rolled it early in her amazing three-set, comeback win over Li Na in the rematch of last year's Australian Open final.

And in the night match, Berdych will need to end a run of outs that now stands at 10 against Nadal if he is to advance to the

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images
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