Big 4 advance in Australia

Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia

With Novak Djokovic clutching his leg and struggling to breathe, it looked like the “Big 4” semifinal lineup at the Australian Open might not come together.

Then Djokovic’s championship instincts kicked in.

The top-ranked Serb held off No. 5 David Ferrer in a second-set tiebreaker Wednesday night and then raced through the third set for a 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-1 win, setting up a rematch of last year’s final against fourth-ranked Andy Murray.

Order was restored.

For 10 days, nearly everyone at Melbourne Park has talked about the top four players and how they are on a higher level than the rest of men’s tennis. But with the other three already in the semis, Djokovic looked to be in trouble in the second set.

“No, I don’t have any physical issues,” Djokovic said, playing down any health concerns. “I feel very fit and I feel mentally, as well, very fresh.

“It’s just today I found it very difficult after a long time to breathe because I felt the whole day my nose was closed a little bit. I just wasn’t able to get enough oxygen.”

The win ensured that the top four men reached the semifinals for the third time in four Grand Slams.

Murray beat Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 earlier Wednesday, while second-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Roger Federer were already preparing for their semifinal showdown, their 10th clash at a major but their first meeting at that stage of a Grand Slam since 2005.

Doubts about Djokovic’s temperament surfaced after he won his first major at the 2008 Australian Open. He went another 11 majors before reaching another Grand Slam final, which he lost.

In his first title defense in 2009, he struggled with breathing problems and the heat and had to retire from his quarterfinal match against Andy Roddick.

Nadal and Federer will play on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night, with the Australian great in attendance — partly to celebrate 50 years since he completed his first Grand Slam of winning all four majors in 1962.

In the day session, 2008 Australian Open winner Maria Sharapova will play reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, and defending Australian champion Kim Clijsters will take on No. 3 Victoria Azarenka. Three of the four — excluding Clijsters — can finish the tournament with the No. 1 ranking.

Azarenka is the only one of the semifinalists who hasn’t won a major — the last eight women’s titles have been shared among six women.

Not so the majors on the men’s side, which have been much more tightly held.

The “Big 4” have reached the semifinals of the last two Grand Slams, and three of the last four.