Roger Federer finds a higher level as other stars fall

All week at the Upset Open, the favorites have fallen as if engaged in a game of superstar dominoes. Serena Williams toppled first. Then Maria Sharapova. Then Novak Djokovic. Then Victoria Azarenka.

The trend continued Wednesday night, albeit with a twist. The latest lower seed to undo a top-five player was not really an underdog, but rather Roger Federer, perhaps the greatest player in tennis history. (Read: Renewed Federer eyes semis against Nadal)

Federer, seeded sixth, arrived at the Australian Open with a new coach, Stefan Edberg, and a larger racket frame, and, for five matches now, he has continued to turn back the clock. His 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3 destruction of the fourth-seeded Andy Murray in Wednesday's quarterfinal was vintage Federer, circa 2004 or 2006 or 2009: a blend of sliced backhands and risks taken and hair flopped, with notes of confidence and hints of movement best described as silky or refined. (Read: Federer's revival faces a crucible)

Speaking of good old days now here again, Federer's latest victory produced yet another meeting with his longtime rival Rafael Nadal. On Friday, they will play for the 33rd time, their first match at a Grand Slam event since the semifinals here in 2012.

Once it would be a given that they would arrive here, pitted against each other deep into a Grand Slam event. But this time so many dots needed to be connected. The draw needed to align with them in the same half. Federer needed to adjust to the new coach and the new racket and overcome doubts about whether he could still compete for major tournament titles. Nadal needed to knock off two opponents while playing with a cherry-red blister taking up much of his left palm.

Murray needed back surgery last year, which made him a less formidable foe. Mostly, though, Federer got himself here. He dismissed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Murray in succession because of the level at which he played, a level between high and somewhere above that. On court afterward, Federer declined to compare the 2014 Fed to the Fed of "my good years," but he did say that his movement felt off last season. Maybe only by a little bit. But by enough.
"You can still play," he said, "but it's not quite the same."

After surgery, Murray knew what Federer meant. Movement is the key in this era of men's tennis - the ability not only to chase shots but also to position one's body to deliver them. That was more evident than ever as Federer and Nadal resumed their perpetual tennis collision course.

Day 10 of the Australian Open belonged to the creative set, to the artists, to the bold. It was not acceptable to stand deep in the court and trade monotonous groundstrokes like some sort of baseline drone.
On Wednesday, players won with verve, with drop shots and lobs and chips, with backhands sliced and then hammered, with the kinds of shots that deserved multiple replays. The faster courts here certainly played into that, but so, too, did the athletes who competed.

Agnieszka Radwanska, the fifth seed in women's singles, added Azarenka, the two-time defending champion, to the upset list by turning Azarenka's afternoon into one long run. On one point, Radwanska flicked her wrist to catch a lob on the backhand side, recovered and put away a volley. On another, she kissed a drop shot inches over the net, then lobbed the next shot near the baseline's edge. It was puppeteer tennis, same as with the men.

Then there was Nadal, who lassoed and punched and roared his way past Grigor Dimitrov into the semifinals, victory obtained in four tight sets, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7), 6-2. With that, he inched closer toward becoming the first man in the Open era to win each Grand Slam tournament twice.

Dimitrov, a 22-year-old Bulgarian, is considered a future star, a future Federer, because of his one-handed backhand and graceful movement. His loss to Nadal on Wednesday felt like the start of something rather than the end. Dimitrov dropped a tear or two at his news conference - emotion sure to draw more comparisons to Federer, never one short on sentiment.

What a tournament: Federer with the new racket and new coach, Murray on court after the operation, fallen stars and wild weather that swung from four days of extreme heat to lightning to rain to sun again. Fans were forced to bring jackets, sunscreen and zero preconceptions about who might win.

Of the top five seeds in men's and women's singles, only three remain for the semifinals. Eighth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka, who upended No. 2 Novak Djokovic, will face No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych in the other men's semifinal Thursday night.

Federer's tennis spoke loudest Wednesday. He almost finished off Murray an hour earlier. He served for the third set, having been broken only once in this tournament and five times this year. But Murray broke him, and the set went to a tiebreaker, where Murray saved two match points.

In the second game of the fourth set, with Murray serving, Federer reached break point six times. Murray saved them all, and that is how the remainder of the night unfolded, with Federer relentless, so close, and Murray on a survival mission.

Finally, on Federer's 10th break chance in the fourth set, he converted. He hit a drop shot that Murray chased and reached, but that took Murray out of position as Federer sailed an easy backhand down the line. Again, Federer served for the set, but this time, he held.

"I thought he played great tennis," Murray said. "I thought he served especially well."

Immediately, the focus turned to Nadal. He was asked about Federer in his news conference before Federer even played.

Nadal had coasted in the fourth set despite a blister on his hand that required constant attention. After his fourth-round match, Nadal held his left hand up in his news conference, and the blister looked about the size of a quarter and was bright red. After the third set Wednesday, trainers reapplied a wrap to the blister, and as they did, Nadal's legs shook.

Afterward, Nadal said the blister hurt most when he served. Sometimes, he felt as if he would lose his grip on the racket. Someone asked Federer about that. He laughed and said he would see Friday. So here they are, again. Everything, for Federer, is different, except for his opponent. In this tournament of upsets, he is hoping for one more.

© 2014 New York Times News Service