MELBOURNE, Jan 23: Big-serving Tommy Haas set up an explosive Australian Open semifinal against Marat Safin on Wednesday, blasting past former world number one Marcelo Rios 7-6 6-4 6-7 7-6.

The German seventh seed used all his might to bulldoze aside the mercurial Chilean in a three-hours 17 minutes Melbourne Park night time thriller.

“It was a matter of who was going to win the big points today,” Haas said. “And on the big points my serve was really strong.”

Safin ghosted into the semifinals earlier in the day when his quarter-final opponent, Wayne Ferreira, retired after just seven games.

Safin was leading 5-2 when the South African pulled out with a stomach strain.

“Today was a present I think,” the Russian said, adding he had not been looking forward to playing on such a hot day with the temperature well above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

In the women’s draw, defending champion Jennifer Capriati thrashed seventh seed Amelie Mauresmo 6-2 6-2 to stride into the last four.

On Thursday, she will clash with dynamic Belgian Kim Clijsters for a place in the final.

Clijsters reached her first Australian Open semi by flattening compatriot and sixth seed Justine Henin 6-2 6-3 in a dominant display.

Haas, a losing semifinalist here in 1999, was in dominant form in the night match on the Rod Laver Arena court.

He played a superb tiebreak in the first set to take the lead in the match and some brutally-struck backhands won him the second set.

Rios, runner-up in Melbourne in 1998, still had some tricks left, however, and reeled off some breathtaking winners to clinch a third set tiebreak and stay in the match.

Another tiebreak was needed to separate the players in the fourth set and Haas’s monstrous serve saved the day for the German.

He smashed down his 21st ace for a 4-1 lead then cracked a backhand crosscourt winner for 5-1 to move within two points of the semifinals.

He missed his first service point but a 22nd ace gave him 6-3 and three match points.

Rios saved the first with a big serve of his own, then hit a breathtaking drop volley to save a second but dumped a backhand into the net on the third as Haas claimed victory.

“My serve was the key I think...whenever he had some chances to break me my serve saved me,” Haas said.

A sanguine Rios took some consolation from his performance.

“I played all right, I think,” he said. “It is just that when I had my chances I couldn’t take them. He played too fast for me.”

Capriati dictated the pace in her match, handing Mauresmo defeat in just 65 minutes.

“I’ve got a lot to be happy for, this is where it all counts, how you do in the grand slams,” Capriati said after reaching her fifth consecutive grand slam semifinal.

“We’re in the second week and it is getting down to the moment where all the best players are going to bring their best game,” she said.

“I had to be really ready today and determined,” Capriati said.

Clijsters, Capriati’s victim in the 2001 French Open final, set up a rematch by beating Henin.

The 18-year-old Clijsters simply had too much power for Henin and has now beaten her close friend in four of their last five meetings over the past 12 months.

“I didn’t really have a game plan, I just wanted to be aggressive. I was aggressive from the start to the end,” a delighted Clijsters said.

Clijsters, who has been adopted by Australian fans because she is the girlfriend of world number one Lleyton Hewitt, has climbed steadily up the world rankings to number five over the past year.

She is looking forward to her clash with Capriati. “I would like to try to get revenge,” Clijsters said. “Jennifer is a very aggressive person...she is moving well and she’s got a lot of confidence because she won it last year.”

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