A fired-up Rafael Nadal survived a huge scare from big-hitting Czech Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open on Tuesday to prevail 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 and set up a mouthwatering semi-final with great rival Roger Federer.

A set down and facing set point in the second, Nadal dug himself out of a cavernous hole to overhaul the tall Czech in a taxing four-hour tussle under the lights at a frenzied Rod Laver Arena.

Dashing from corner to corner in a lime-green shirt, 2009 champion Nadal met seventh seed Berdych's power game with his own brute force and picked him off repeatedly when he charged cavalier-like to the net.

The pressure told and Berdych surrendered a decisive break in the opening game of the fourth set and another when serving to stay in the match to allow the world number two to keep his bid for an 11th Grand Slam crown alive.