Berdych finishes off Nadal, Sharapova into semis

Rafael Nadal has been sensationally thrashed by No.7 seed Tomas Berdych in his Australian Open quarterfinal on Tuesday.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion was a shadow of his best as a confident and composed Berdych rained down perfect service and attacked his underdone opponent to win 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5).

It makes the 2015 tournament just the third Grand Slam in a decade to not feature Nadal or 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the final four.

In the women's quarters, 2008 champion Maria Sharapova made it past fan-favorite and 2014 semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-2 while fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova upset third seed Simona Halep with a 6-3, 6-0 victory.

After conceding his first 6-0 set in 198 matches, Nadal gradually worked his way back into the match and his trademark curling forehand began firing again.

However, the disciplined Berdych showed no sign of the outbursts in his fourth round and continued to punish the weary Nadal - who won just six of 21 points off his second serve.

"I tested him for (just) one hour," said Nadal of his patchy form in his fifth tournament since July.

Berdych's own second serve has been broadly criticised for being too weak and predictable for a top player.

The Czech No. 1 turned that on its head by taking calculated risks on his second ball - including on match point, when the 2010 Wimbledon finalist belted his fastest second serve of the tournament down the T and left Nadal no option but to net it.

The confident Berdych had earlier held serve for 5-4 after the 29-year-old again gambled on his second service at break point and succeeded with an unreturned ball.

"You have to keep going to the last point," said the Czech, who advanced to his fifth Grand Slam semifinal.

It was a day Nadal was hoping to become the first man to record 18 straight victories against an opponent.

But instead, the Spaniard who scraped past world No. 112 Tim Smyczek in the second round had historians searching the record books for other reasons.

Nadal last conceded a bagel against Roger Federer in the season-ending 2011 World Tour Finals, and not since the 2006 Wimbledon final - again against the Swiss Master - had he played such a poor set at Grand Slam level.

The packed Rod Laver Arena crowd was understandably stunned to silence.

A focused Berdych cruelly kept his foot on Nadal's throat, forbidding the 2009 champion from striking into any sense of rhythm.

It became clear as the match went on that while Nadal was far from having a good day, it was Berdych's tactical and ruthless pressure that was the decisive force.

Asked if he was ill, Nadal was adamant that his lack of intensity against a high-class opponent was the main contributor to the loss.

Earlier, Maria Sharapova moved into her seventh Australian open semifinal by brushing aside Canadian seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard in 78 minutes.

The five-time Grand Slam winner broke a wayward Bouchard serve in the opening game and broke another four times to comprehensively beat the 20-year-old.

"When I did have a few slips, I was able to come out with great first serves or really powerful returns," said the confident Russian.

She will next play compatriot Ekaterina Makarova who disposed of a lackluster Simona Halep in quick fashion.

The world No. 3 repeated her disastrous quarterfinal appearance of a year ago when she won just three games against Dominika Cibulkova.

The Romanian had not lost a set in the first four rounds, however, that was against far lesser opponents than the 10th-ranked Russian.

Seven unforced errors in the first 16 points - including two consecutive double faults - were detrimental to Halep's title aspirations.

The animated Makarova pressured the off-key Halep from the first ball and held two breaks of serve before the 2014 French Open finalist could take a seat.

"I just felt a little bit stressed in my body - and my mind maybe," said the 2014 French open finalist.

The frustrated Romanian, in a vain attempt to sprint back into contention, shortened the points.

But on a day when neither her backhand or forehand flourished, it only sped up her destruction.

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