Azarenka battles back to reach Melbourne semis

Jan 24, 2012, 3:52 GMT

Melbourne - Victoria Azarenka fought through to win her 10th match of the season on Tuesday, securing a place in her second career Grand Slam semi-final with a 6-7 (0-6), 6-0, 6-2 defeat of Agnieszka Radwanska at the Australian Open.

The 22-year-old world number three from Belarus remains in with a chance to possibly take the number one ranking from Caroline Wozniacki after moving into the final four on a sweltering day of 35 degree Celsius temperatures on court.

Azarenka began 2012 by taking the Sydney title.

The third seed need a massive turnaround after taking a 7-0 hammering in the first-set tiebreaker against the Polish eighth seed. Azarenka then proceeded to reel off seven games in a row, levelling the sets at one apiece and earning a lead in the third.

She broke Radwanska for 3-1 in the third set to provide the margin for victory in a shade over two hours.

'We just cannot play two sets,' said the winner after posting her seventh victory from 10 matches in the series. 'We have to push it to the limit, run each other around out there.

'We both showed some great tennis. We both fought hard. I'm glad I could stay tough and finish the match.

'I'm a year older and a year wiser,' said Azarenka, who lost in the fourth round a year ago. 'I'm playing step-by-step, playing every point and giving the best I can. If you do that, the result will be the result.

'I'm happy to be in the semi-finals and able to give it all out there.'

Top seed Wozniacki of Denmark and holder Kim Clijsters were playing a quarter-final, with the Belgian able to test the ankle she rolled in a dramatic win 48 hours ago over 2011 finalist Li Na.