Australian Open: Argentine David Nalbandian is fast shaping up to be the biggest challenger to world number one Roger Federer at the Australian Open.
Nalbandian, the highest remaining seed in the opposite half of the draw to the Swiss star, has booked the first spot in the semi-finals after overcoming Fabrice Santoro 7-5 6-0 6-0.
The South American presently boasts a winning record against Federer and won their most recent encounter at the final of the Masters Cup in Shanghai at the end of 2005.
However, the tournament's fourth seed will have to get through against either Croatian Ivan Ljubicic or Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in the semi-finals before a potential match-up with the top seed takes place.
The match on Rod Laver Arena was a clash of two different styles as Nalbandian, the powerful baseliner, locked horns with Santoro, the mercurial ball-player.
However, it eventually proved to be the day of the Argentine as the world number four overcame an initial challenge from his opponent before racing away with the victory.
The players started the opening set in textbook-like fashion, both holding their early service games with relative ease. It was then the Frenchman who finally found the upper hand, Santoro breaking his opponent's serve in the seventh game of the set.
However, Nalbandian soon found his form and moments later broke back the usually composed service game of his unseeded opponent.
With the score locked up both players again toiled hard looking for the edge. This time it was the fourth seed who found it, breaking Santoro's service game again to take the first set. This proved to be the most resistance the French veteran could muster as the second set soon went Nalbandian's way as well.
Santoro's performance soon began to dwindle while the Argentine's cranked up several notches. The Frenchman could do little but watch as his opponent broke his next three service games to secure the second set in a clinical display, conceding just one point on his serve in the 25 minutes it took to take a 2-0 lead.
Nalbandian continued his relentless assault early in the third set and soon had the match within his grasp after again breaking the opening service game of his opponent.
The South American was in blistering touch the longer the match wore on and quickly broke the rest of his hapless opponent's wilting service games on the way to his first-ever Australian Open semi-final.