Novak Djokovic was too good for Japan's Kei Nishikori at the Australian Open, and the world number one's braced for another epic showdown with Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
The top seed overcame Nishikori in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, while Federer was in top form earlier to quell the threat of sixth seed Tomas Berdych 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-4.
The Serb entered the quarter-final against the Japanese in the wake of a five-set marathon with the indefatigable Gilles Simon, a match he was desperate to forget after racking up exactly 100 unforced errors.
Instead of heading to the practice courts to re-tune his game, the world number one put his feet up to clear his mind.
"I didn't hit a tennis ball," he said in a courtside interview after mowing down seventh seed Nishikori in just over two hours under the floodlights at Rod Laver Arena.
"And it happens sometimes it's actually good to rest your mind and rest your body. Less is more sometimes.
"I think it's more (about hitting) a reset button because I think I've played a lot of tennis in the last four or five weeks."
The Djokovic that faced Nishikori, the winner of their only previous grand slam encounter in the 2014 U.S. Open semi-finals, was not far from the imperious best of the man that clinched three of the four majors last year.
But he landed only 57 percent of his first serves and was broken twice in the third set as Nishikori finally began to loosen his shoulders and start swinging.
He still ended up trouncing Nishikori though, comitting exactly half the unforced errors of his opponent.
Nishikori, who has nursed a wrist injury throughout his tournament, left the court for treatment on a leg problem after being routed in the first two sets.
Berdych was a potentially tricky quarter-final opponent for Federer, having beaten him the last two times they had clashed at a grand slam.
But the 34-year-old won the crucial points to put himself into a position to challenge for the 18th major title that he desires and which has been just out of reach since 2012.
"It's part of the reason why I guess I'm still playing. I feel like I'm competitive at the top. I can beat all the guys on tour," Federer told reporters.
"It's nice now that in the last three slams that I've been as consistent as I have been."
Federer has made the final at the last two grand slams but lost both to world number one Novak Djokovic.
Reuters
