There were no surprises in the men's singles quarterfinals at Melbourne Park on Wednesday as Andy Murray and Milos Raonic progressed to the last four of the Australian Open.
Both Murray and Raonic were favored to progress from potentially challenging matchups against David Ferrer and Gael Monfils.
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And the second and 13th seeds each got the job done in similar fashion, progressing in four sets after initial leads had been canceled out.
Murray lost the second set of his match with Ferrer on a tiebreak, but ultimately triumphed with a degree of comfort following a brief delay due to storms in the area, which prompted the closing of the roof at Rod Laver Arena.
Raonic, meanwhile, benefited from an attacking approach as he recorded a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Monfils.
MOMENTS OF THE DAY
The closing of the roof seemed to suit Murray, who had broken for a 3-1 lead in the third set against Ferrer prior to the interruption. Raonic also enjoyed the shift to "indoor" conditions, a factor he referenced in an on-court interview immediately after his win.
Raonic has an excellent record when winning the first set of a match and was gifted the chance to do so on this occasion as Monfils threw away a 40-15 advantage in game four. Although the Frenchman hit back from losing the opener by pulling level at one set apiece, his opponent was able to convert another early lead into victory.
KEY STATS
Raonic is the first Canadian man to make the last four of the Australian Open.
In reaching his 18th Grand Slam semifinal, Murray has matched the haul achieved by Boris Becker.
SOCIAL MEDIA SWEEP
Rafael Nadal would love to still be involved at Melbourne Park, but is now focusing on future events having been knocked out in the first round by Fernando Verdasco. Not long after the quarterfinal action concluded on Wednesday, Nadal posted a photo on Twitter, showing him practicing on clay.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) January 27, 2016
Andy and Jamie Murray, who is into the last four of the men's doubles with Bruno Soares, received a supportive tweet from Hibernian, the soccer team they follow.
Semi final appearances for @andy_murray, @jamie_murray and Hibernian this week! Good luck guys! #GGTTH pic.twitter.com/FUxvIkFUmf
— Hibernian FC (@HibsOfficial) January 27, 2016
THEY SAID WHAT?
Murray was unperturbed when his match with Ferrer was briefly suspended. "I grew up in Scotland where the weather isn't quite like here and I played most of my tennis indoors," said the world No. 2.
Raonic, meanwhile, is relishing the task awaiting him in the semifinals. "[It's] a great challenge ahead of me, a challenge that I believe I have it within myself to find a solution to," said the Canadian in a post-match interview. "Hopefully I can make the most of the opportunity."
NEXT UP
Murray and Raonic will meet on Friday, with the former looking to reach his fifth Australian Open final. The other semifinal in the men's singles sees Novak Djokovic — the top seed, reigning champion and tournament favorite — face 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.
RESULTS
Andy Murray [2] beat David Ferrer [8] 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3
Milos Raonic [13] beat Gael Monfils [23] 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4