Rafael Nadal is convinced British number one Andy Murray (Murray 2/9 Cilic 16/5 - match betting) has what it takes to break his Grand Slam duck at the Australian Open.

Spanish sensation Nadal is well-placed to make such an assertion having surrendered his Melbourne Park crown when retiring injured against the 22-year-old in the quarter-finals.

The world number two believes the Scot has the form and momentum (6/4 Murray 3-0 - Set Betting) to send Marin Cilic packing and progress to become the first British male Grand Slam winner since Fred Perry in 1936.

“He has a big chance,” said Nadal.

“I think this is a very good chance for him. For starters, he’s playing really well. And second thing, he’s already in semi-finals. So he is only two matches away.

“Every Grand Slam is special and every Grand Slam is important to win. For Andy, I think he deserves to win his first Grand Slam, and he is going to do it.”

Murray, who reached the US Open final in 2008 and the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year, says he is ready to make his big breakthrough against the elite of men’s tennis.

“I think I’m ready to win a Grand Slam, definitely, and I’ve a good chance of doing it here,” said Murray.

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Defending champion Serena Williams (8/13 2010 Australian Open - Women’s Outright) admitted she had resigned herself to defeat before storming back to reach the semi-finals and shatter the Australian Open dream for Victoria Azarenka.

The top seed came from a set and 4-0 down to post a 4-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 win on the Rod Laver Arena to set up a last-four showdown with surprise package Li Na (16/1 2010 Australian Open - Women’s Outright) of China.

The big-hitting American, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2003, revealed she was thinking of her flight home at her lowest point against Azarenka.

The match turned on its head towards the end of the second set when Williams, who said she was “shocked” and “surprised” to get through, rallied to win five games in a row.

“I didn’t expect to win when I was down 0-4,” said Williams.

“I was actually thinking ‘if I lose today and I lose in doubles I think I can catch a flight on Friday’. That’s not what a champion is supposed to think, but that’s what I was thinking.

‘I’m just happy to still be here.”

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Andy Murray, now the 11/8 favourite with Totesport to win the title, will face Marin Cilic in the Australian Open semi-finals after a quality display against Rafael Nadal on Tuesday.

The world number five reached his third Grand Slam semi-final after Nadal retired hurt with a knee injury in the third set, with Murray already two-sets up.

The Scot will now face 14th seed Cilic in the last four, after the Croatian saw off Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick in a five-set epic.

Murray has won three of their four meetings but Cilic (16/1 to win the first Grand Slam of 2010) defeated the British number one at last year’s US Open and the 22-year-old wants to turn the tables.

Murray admitted: “The nerves are going to be there because it is the chance to make the final of a Grand Slam but I lost to him at the US Open so I will be looking for revenge.”

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British number one Andy Murray is confident he has the form and momentum to make it a miserable start to 2010 for world number two Rafael Nadal when they meet in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday (Murray 4/5 Nadal evens - match betting).

Fifth seed Muray (5/1 Murray 3-2 Set Betting) has yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park and made just eight unforced errors in his 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 6-2 victory over 33rd seed John Isner on Sunday.

Spanish sensation Nadal has won just once in 11 matches against fellow top 10 players since his shock defeat by Robin Soderling at the French Open last year and is without a trophy in eight months.

Murray believes his turn has come against the heavyweights of men’s tennis and is optimistic he can make a grand slam breakthrough.

“I know the match against Rafa is going to be difficult, but I think I can win,” he said.

“I think I’ve got some tactics that work well against him. I’m playing well. There’s no question about that. I just need to make sure I play my best.”

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Tournament fourth seed and world number four Caroline Wozniacki vowed she would return “stronger” in reaction to her disappointing 6-4 6-3 round four defeat by China’s Li Na at the Australian Open (Wozniacki 20/1 - 2010 Wimbledon Women’s Outright).

Li, the 16th seed, who will now tackle Venus Williams of America, joins countrywoman Zheng Jie (Kirilenko 11/10 Zheng 4/6 match betting) for the first two Chinese women have reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.

Wozniacki appeared troubled by a thigh injury which required a bandage and Li, who beat the US Open finalist in Sydney earlier this month, was able to take control and serve out the match.

Wozniacki said: “I had my chances, especially in the first set leading all the time. I had my chance for 5-2 and I didn’t take it. Then she started well with the new balls.

“There’s a long way to go (in 2010). There’s a long year ahead of me. Now I’m going to go and practice and work even harder and come back stronger hopefully.

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Sam Stosur has said she cannot wait to renew hostilities with defending champion Serena Williams when they meet in the last 16 of the Australian Open.

Big-hitter Williams, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, made sure of her progress by completing a 6-0 6-3 victory over Carla Suarez-Navarro.

Stosur, the 13th seed at Melbourne Park, opened play on Rod Laver Arena with a 6-4 6-1 triumph against Alberta Brianti of Italy.

The pair’s last meeting, on the Stanford hard courts in 2009, in which Australian number one Stosur prevailed 6-2 3-6 6-2, ended in controversy when Williams suggested her opponent was a good “framer”, implying many of her winning shots were miss hits.

Stosur said she was looking forward to challenge of facing the formidable American to prove she can mix it with the elite of women’s tennis.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Stosur. “I’ve lived up to my expectation and I’ve got to where I should have got to.

“Playing the number one player in the world, defending champion, I can go out there and really enjoy it.”

World number one Roger Federer suggested he has not yet hit top gear at the Australian Open in response to his 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over 31st seed Albert Montanes.

Montanes was not allowed a single break-point opportunity in what was a one-sided third-round encounter on the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

The win secured Federer his 50th victory at the Australian Open and keeps the Swiss superstar in contention for a fourth title.

“I feel good, I feel confident,” Federer said.

“Physically I’m fine and fresh and that’s how you want to feel going into the second week.”

The 15-time Grand Slam champion, contesting his 11th successive Australian Open, will next face the winner of the match between home fancy Lleyton Hewitt and 2006 finalist Marcos Baghdatis (Baghdatis 11/10 Hewitt 4/6 In Play) in round four.

British hope Andy Murray remains on course for a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time in his career following his 7-5 6-1 6-4 third-round success against Florent Serra – but has warned of a much tougher challenge against either Gael Monfils or John Isner in the fourth round (4/1 4th Round - Murray Stage Of Elimination).

The 22-year-old was tested in the opening exchanges by world number 64 Serra but looked much more comfortable as the match unfolded.

The fifth raced raced to a 3-0 lead before finally edging the first set whereas the second set was a lot more routine.

The young Scot survived another wobble in the third to wrap up his third consecutive straight-sets win.

“The first set was a bit closer than it needed to be. I had chances to go 4-0 up,” he told BBC Sport. “I am delighted to win in straight sets.”

He will now face the winner of the game between Monfils, seeded 12th, of France and Isner of America.

“Both are really tough players,” he added. “Monfils is one of the best athletes on the tour - he can chase every ball down and is very unpredictable.

“Isner is tough. He won last week and beat Andy Roddick at the US Open. He is 6′9″ and causes people problems.”

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British number one Andy Murray set up a third-round (10/1 3rd round Murray Stage Of Elimination) Australian Open clash against Florent Serra of France – and described his form as “solid”.

Murray (11/2 Australian Open 2010 - Men’s Outright)  raced to a routine 6-1 6-4 6-3 victory against Marc Gicquel, also of France, under the lights with some blistering tennis.

The young Scot powered his way to a 6-1 lead in just 24 minutes and looked comfortable in the second one he got an early break.

The world number five was broken for the first time in the event in the third but broke back twice against his opponent, ranked number 57 in the world, in blustery conditions at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Park.

A delighted Murray, who has never made it past the fourth round at the Australian Open, said: “It was a good performance because the conditions were tricky. I thought it was solid.”

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Andy Murray felt comfortable playing under the roof at the Australian Open (Murray 11/2 Mens Outright) on Monday and claims it is similar to playing at Wimbledon.

The 22-year-old British number one breezed into the second round courtesy of a 6-1 6-1 6-2 victory against South African qualifier Kevin Anderson under the Rod Laver Arena roof because rain had left the outdoor courts at Melbourne Park waterlogged.

Murray, who will face France’s Marc Gicquel (Murray 1/50, Gicquel 12/1 Tennis Coupon) in the second round on Wednesday, enjoyed the experience and felt it produced conditions that he is used to at Wimbledon.

The tournament’s fifth seed, who is aiming to clinch his first Grand Slam title Down Under, said: “You create your own atmosphere on the court, but the conditions are similar to Wimbledon (Murray 4/1 Wimbledon Outright) with the roof.

“It actually slows the court down like at Wimbledon. It gets quite humid in there, whereas it’s pretty dry heat normally, and it’s just quite heavy.

“It slows the court down a bit, so that was a bit different.”

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