Nadal upset by Berdych in Aussie Open quarterfinals

MELBOURNE, Australia – No one beats Tomas Berdych 18 times in a row. That's what the Czech ranked No. 7 in the world proved on Tuesday at the Australian Open, upsetting Rafael Nadal – who he had lost to in 17 consecutive matches – in shocking fashion. Here's how it played it.

Scoreline: [7] Tomas Berdych (CZE) def. [3] Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6-2, 6-0, 7-6(5)

Berdych came into this match without much hope of topping Nadal, who hadn't lost to him since 2006. But armed with a new coach – Dani Vallverdu who formerly worked with Andy Murray – Berdych executed a game plan of big-strike tennis while Nadal, who has been vastly up and down in this tournament, was flat throughout.

What it means: While the way it played out was no doubt shocking, the question marks looming over Nadal's head had clouded his route throughout this tournament. He appeared ill and unfit in a second-round five-setter against American qualifier Tim Smyczek, and never spoke with great confidence to reporters about his ability to win the event.

The victory moves Berdych into his first major semifinal since he was in the last four here a year ago and it's the fourth Slam semi of his career. He made the 2010 Wimbledon final, losing to Nadal. Berdych awaits the winner of Tuesday night's quarterfinal between Murray and Australian upstart Nick Kyrgios.

How it happened: Berdych looked in fine form to start the match and didn't look back in the first two sets, swinging for the fences and forcing a zapped Nadal to appear confounded and sometimes angry. His 6-0 mark in the second set was just the third time Nadal had lost a set to love in his Grand Slam career, the last coming in the 2006 Wimbledon final to Roger Federer.

But Nadal rallied in the third set, the whole of Rod Laver Arena shaking as he let out cries of "Vamos!" while working his way into the match. It appeared to be too little too late when he went two match points down at 5-6, 15-40 serving, but Nadal would deliver two service bombs that went unreturned, winning four consecutive points to force a tiebreak. It was there that Berdych broke open a 5-1 lead, then held tight to win it 7-5, knocking a serve up the T that Nadal reached for, sending a backhand into the tape. Berdych shot up his arms above his shoulders in celebration.

Key stat: Berdych served incredibly well, firing 10 aces and winning 82 percent of points on serve against Nadal, a solid returner. Most importantly, the 29 year old was broken zero times, saving all four of the break points he faced against the Spaniard. Berdych also blasted 46 winners to just 24 for Nadal, his measured aggression paying dividends.

What he said: "I was definitely ready for it," a smiling Berdych said on court after the win. "I set up my plan pretty well and stuck with it through all three sets. He's a great fighter and tried to come back in the third, but I just tried to stay focused and do my (game). I had to stay calm. I'm feeling strong and prepared."