David Ferrer clawed back from two sets down to overhaul his Spanish Davis Cup team-mate Nicolas Almagro in five sets and reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Almagro, the 10th seed, served for the match three times in the third set only to blow his chance to reach his first ever Grand Slam semi-final as fourth seed Ferrer charged back to win the 3hr 44min rollercoaster.
Ferrer finished too strongly for Almagro with two more service breaks in the fifth set to win 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.
The never-say-die Spaniard will now take on the winner of the quarter-final between defending champion Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych, which will take place later on Tuesday.
It will be Ferrer’s second semi-final appearance at the Australian Open after beating celebrated compatriot Rafael Nadal in the 2011 quarter-finals, while his victory over Almagro was his 500th Tour-level career match win.
Almagro was poised for his first victory over Ferrer in 13 meetings, and first Grand Slam semi-final in 34 attempts, before he tightened as he attempted to serve out for the match.
He was broken for the first time in the match and again in his next service game to lose the set and give Ferrer a way back into the quarter-final.