Australian Open: Wawrinka knocks out defending champion Djokovic

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the Australian Open quarter-finals by Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 on Tuesday.

Eighth seed Wawrinka ended Djokovic's bid for a fourth consecutive title at Melbourne Park under the lights of Rod Laver Arena and will meet Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals.

Djokovic and Wawrinka were involved in a tense five-setter last year but the Serb had scraped through in that. 

However, the much-improved Swiss got the better of the four-time winner on this occasion.

Earlier, Berdych fended off a belated challenge from baseline hustler David Ferrer to reach his maiden Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday with a gritty 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.

The rangy seventh seed cruised to a two-set lead over a surprisingly listless Ferrer but spontaneously collapsed in the third set under pressure from the dogged Spaniard.

Ferrer appeared primed to drag the match into an epic struggle but lost focus at 2-2 in the fourth set to surrender serve with a string of unforced errors.

Image: Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates a point against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images