Day 5 order of play (from 11am) — Pat Rafter Arena:

class="noindent">Night session (from 7pm):

VICTORIA Azarenka admits she is “curious” about her Brisbane International semi-final against a potentially dangerous youngster.

The two-time Australian Open champion powered past seasoned campaigner Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-2 last night to secure a place in the last four against 20-year-old American qualifier Samantha Crawford.

“Curious. I’m curious to see how I can handle this situation,” Azarenka said.

“Semi-final is going to be interesting for both of us, facing somebody I never faced before. I haven’t been in the semi-finals in a while, which is great, too.

“It’s exciting. Important is to stay focused on myself, like I did the transition from my second match to the third .... I just want to keep myself in that bubble a little bit and have fun on the court.”

Azarenka faces what could be a tricky match tonight against Crawford, the world No.142 who has impressed in taking down some big-time players with some big-time serving.

Azarenka admitted feeling initially “overwhelmed” by the unknown when she faced second-round opponent Ysaline Bonaventure, a lucky loser from qualifying promoted to replace injured top seed Simona Halep.

Hence the former world No.1 took time to find her groove against the 170th-ranked Belgian before securing a straight-sets win.

But Azarenka said her coach had seen Crawford play and they would discuss his observations on Friday.

Crawford upset experienced German Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-0 in the quarter-finals a day after knocking out No.7 seed Belinda Bencic.

media_camera Victoria Azarenka cruised into the Brisbane International semi-finals.

“That’s the great thing about tennis: anything can happen on a given day ... anyone can beat anyone,” Crawford said.

“I just want to play well and enjoy it.”

Crawford has a wildcard to the Australian Open, her first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam outside the US, where she has played in a major twice; once as a qualifier and once as a wildcard, losing in the first round both times.

“Even though those matches didn’t do go my way they were still close - (I) saw that I could play here and belong here,” she said.

“Being able to win matches and pull them out and not doubt myself while I’m playing, that kind of just helps.”

Azarenka took her win-loss record against Vinci to 4-0.

Since they last met in 2012, Vinci has become a Grand Slam finalist, defeating Serena Williams in last year’s US Open semi-finals before falling to fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta in the title decider.

Last night, that looked far behind her as the 32-year-old was broken four times in the opening set and struggled against the power of Azarenka.

Apart from a stutter at the beginning when she dropped her first service game and a smattering of unforced errors (ten to Vinci’s nine), Azarenka took complete control of the first set.

Vinci finally converted her sixth break point for a 2-1 lead in the second set but, after all that, Azarenka simply broke straight back and then again for 4-2.

The unforced error count continued to climb for both players - they ended up with 23 each but Azarenka’s 22 winners to Vinci’s 10 were telling.

Azarenka broke once more on match point when Vinci netted a backhand, giving her opponent victory after an hour and 18 minutes.

Today’s other semi-final will be between No.4 seed Angelique Kerber and Carla Suarez Navarro, the No.6 seed from Spain who fought back from a set down to defeat American Varvara Lepchenko 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

media_camera Milos Raonic came from a set down to defeat qualifier Ivan Dodig of Croatia. Picture: AFP / Saeed Khan

‘Baby Fed’ on collision course with real deal

GRIGOR Dimitrov is on a quarter final collision course with Roger Federer after toughing out a 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 over Viktor Troicki.

The battle between Bulgarian Dimitrov, world No.28 and Serb Troicki who is ranked 6 places higher at 22, lasted 2hr and 47mins and left both players clearly exhausted.

It was played on the outdoor show court one in sticky temperatures nudging 30c.

So close was the match little separated the players on ths stats sheet, both fired down 9 aces and had similar first and second serve percentages. Troicki broke serve twice and Dimitrov three times.

If, as expected top seed and world No.3 Federer advances past German qualifier Tobias Kamke on Pat Rafter Arena tonight, he will meet Dimitrov in a quarter final on Saturday.

Raonic overcomes early errors to win through

FOURTH seed Milos Raonic has ended a run of upsets on day 4 of the Brisbane International with a victory over qualifier Ivan Dodig.

Canadian Raonic, the world No. 14, was given a hard time early by the gritty Croatian before gaining control and cruising to a 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-4 victory on Pat Rafter Arena.

Raonic was aggressive from the start but too many unforced errors kept Dodig in the set.

It lasted for 69 minutes before the qualifier won in a tiebreak.

During that set, while trailing 4-5 Raonic required an injury time-out for what appeared to be a groin injury.

He barely fired a shot during the tiebreak but came to life in the 2nd set.

He routinely began to serve in excess of 220kms an hour and also cashed-in on all three break points he received.

The set lasted just 26 minutes.

Dodig was more competitive in the finals set and was able to hold four of his service games, but Raonic was in complete control.

He will play Frenchman Lucas Pouille who upset 6th seed David Goffin in a quarter final.

Another seed tumbles

David Goffin has become the latest seed to be tumbled out of the Brisbane International.

He follows French fifth seed Giles Simon who was defeated by Grigor Dimitrov in the first round.

The Belgian world No. 16 and the sixth seed here was upset in the second round 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 by Frenchman Locas Pouille, the world number 78.

Twenty-one year-old Pouille now advances to a quarter final against Milos Raonic.

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Kerber first woman into semis

THE highest remaining women’s seed in the Brisbane International, Angelique Kerber, is the first through the semi-finals.

The 10th-ranked Kerber turned back Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-4 in their Pat Rafter Arena quarter-final.

Kerber was the highest ranked of the three seeds left in the Brisbane women’s field following the withdrawals on Tuesday and Wednesday of Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova.

The German left-hander, seeded fourth, will play the winner of today’s quarter between sixth seed Carla Suarez Navarro and American Varvara Lepchenko for a place in Saturday night’s women’s singles final.

media_camera Angelique Kerber of Germany is the first woman through to the semi-finals of the Brisbane International. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Saeed Khan

Kerber, who played for a successful German Fed Cup team at Rafter Arena, won three of her seven career WTA titles in 2015 and has been in the year-end top 10 on each of the past four years.

There’s no sign yet, understandably, of Roger Federer for practice today as his first appearance in Brisbane this summer is scheduled for tonight against German Tobias Kamke.

Federer practiced for only 30 minutes on Wednesday night in his first Queensland Tennis Centre practice since Sunday, amid locker-room rumours that he has needed to consult a doctor while in Brisbane.

Couriermail.com.au has been told Federer intends to play tonight’s match, which would be a break for tournament organisers and the paying tennis public of Queensland.

Injury cloud hangs over Federer

ROGER Federer’s ability to play through the Brisbane International is under a cloud, with locker-room rumours that he has consulted a doctor before his first scheduled match on Thursday.

Federer emerged last night for his first practice at the Queensland Tennis Centre since Sunday.

But he stopped after 30 minutes, half of his usual practice sessions at this and other tournaments in Australia.

media_camera Roger Federer cut his schedule practice session short. Picture: Annette Dew

On Wednesday tournament officials announced Federer had been scheduled to play on Thursday night against German qualifier Tobias Kamke.

The Courier-Mail understands Federer requested a Thursday start to the tournament rather than on Wednesday and sources say there are suggestions among fellow players that he has consulted a doctor while in Brisbane.

It could not be confirmed if the 17-time Grand Slam winner has an injury or an illness.

The tournament top seed twice felt his right forearm during his leisurely practice.

Rain prevented most practice sessions on Tuesday.

media_camera Roger Federer cut his schedule practice session short. Picture: Annette Dew

Brisbane International tournament chief Cameron Pearson declined to comment on Federer’s fitness.

The ATP Tour will not comment on player fitness either because there would be betting implications. UBET has Federer a $1.01 favourite, with Kamke at $17.

To play in Sunday’s final would mean matches on four successive days for the super-fit 34-year-old, who wants to win his first major title since 2012 — the Australian Open.

In his two previous visits to Brisbane, Federer has given the State Government value for its appearance fee with a variety of photo opportunities.

His most recent public appearance was at Sunday’s Kids Day promotions at the QTC. On Tuesday, a planned photo op and interview at the Gold Coast was called off.

Tournament organisers say the Gold Coast visit was cancelled because of wet weather.

The sight of Federer is welcome any time at a tennis tournament, but especially at one when top-four women Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep pulled out the previous day, citing non-serious injuries.

Federer said in Brisbane on Saturday, when he arrived and practised at the QTC, that winning the 2015 Brisbane International had “set me up” for a successful season.

Federer has not been beaten before the semi-finals in his first tournament of the year in any of his past seven seasons