Melbourne, January 28:

Rafael Nadal booked an all-Spanish Australian Open semi-final against Fernando Verdasco today as Serena Williams clawed back from a set down to keep her dreams alive.

The world No 1 fought off a determined rear-guard action by battling French six seed Gilles Simon to win 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 as he goes in search of his first title here. The victory earns him a crack at Verdasco for a place in the final against Roger Federer or Andy Roddick after the left-hander sent French fifth seed and last year’s runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga packing

7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Verdasco joined a long line of players to make a name for themselves at the year’s opening Grand Slam, powering into his first Major semi-finals in 23 attempts. In contrast to Verdasco’s seven-year wait to make the business end of a Grand Slam, Williams booked her 15th Grand Slam semi-final. The three-time champion was a set down to Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova but recovered for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 win. It earned the American a shot at ice-cool Russian Elena Dementieva, who powered past unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-2. The other semi-final sees third seed Dinara Safina play her Russian compatriot Vera Zvonareva. Dementieva, who is now on a 15-match unbeaten streak, was untroubled by giantkiller Suarez Navarro, who knocked out Venus Williams in the second round.