Nadal: Gonzalez can go all the way

WORLD number two Rafael Nadal believes Fernando Gonzalez can topple more big names on his way to Australian Open glory after the Chilean won their quarter-final match.

Gonzalez won 6-2 6-4 6-3 as the Spaniard, who went into the match as hot favourite after his five-set triumph over British number one Andy Murray, struggled from the outset against the power of his opponent.

Nadal was hampered by an injury to his upper leg but feels Gonzalez could now go all the way.

The Chilean meets Tommy Haas in the semi-final with world number one and defending champion Roger Federer or American Andy Roddick awaiting in the final.

“You never know if Gonzalez can win. Roger is always very difficult, it is another level always,” said Nadal.

“But you never know. When you are in one final of a grand slam you can win for sure because you are with big confidence. Anything can happen.”

Haas, the 12th seed, overcame a fierce challenge from Russian number three seed Nikolay Davydenko to reach the semis.

After a match that stretched for three hours and 19 minutes, the German emerged the 6-3 2-6 1-6 6-1 7-5 victor.

” I knew it was going to be a tough match going in,” said Haas, who lost to Davydenko in the quarter-finals of last year’s US Open.

“I wanted the revenge badly after the US Open because those kind of matches now, for me, mean a lot — more than maybe eight or nine years ago.

“It hurt me a lot there for a couple days after the US Open. Being in the fifth set down a break today, I kind of remembered that feeling.

“It couldn’t have been a better outcome for me.”

Meanwhile, world number two Maria Sharapova believes she is “smarter” and better equipped to break her Australian Open duck this year.

The Russian reached her third successive semi-final at Melbourne Park after overcoming compatriot Anna Chakvetadze 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.

She will face Kim Clijsters, a player whom she had not beaten until registering two victories last year.

Those successes, combined with her US Open victory last September when she overcame then world number one and two Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne in the semi-final and final, has given Sharapova renewed confidence — even if Clijsters beat her at the Hong Kong Champions Challenge event earlier this month.

“I feel like I’m doing smarter things in situations, being a little bit more patient when I have to,” she said.

“I have a lot more plans in my pocket. I also have more experience.

Clijsters had an equally tough examination against three-time former champion Martina Hingis, eventually winning 3-6 6-4 6-3.

Clijsters said her Hong Kong victory over Sharapova would have no bearing on their semi-final and that she had to be on top of her game to defeat the Russian.

“I’ve played against her a few times in the past. We always had good matches, good battles, close sets,” she added.