MELBOURNE: Stanislas Wawrinka has the opportunity to truly step out of Roger Federer`s immense shadow if he can only overcome a stubborn Tomas Berdych in their Australian Open semi-final on Thursday.

Wawrinka`s match against the Czech is the highlight of three semi-finals at Melbourne Park on Thursday with women`s title favourite Li Na facing exciting teenage prospect Eugenie Boucahrd in one of the women`s last four clashes.

Diminutive Slovak Dominika Cibulkova, who knocked out 2008 champion Maria Sharapova and destroyed 11th seed Simona Halep in the quarter-finals, will be seeking her second top-five victim when she faces fifth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the other women`s semi-final.

The eighth-seeded Wawrinka has spent his entire career as `the other guy from Switzerland` as Federer chalked up 17 grand slam titles but he has cemented his credentials as a genuine top-10 player capable of anything over the last 12 months.

That was none more evident than on Wednesday with a thrilling five-set victory over four-time champion Novak Djokovic, the second successive year he and the Serb have battled into a marathon deciding set at Melbourne Park.

Unlike 2013, however, the 28-year-old Wawrinka advanced to the final four to reach his second successive semi-final appearance in grand slams and the quietly spoken Swiss has finally felt like he belongs in the game`s elite.

"I`m enjoying for sure because I`m playing great tennis. It`s a different level if I compare to last year," he said. "Now I`m number eight in the world. I`m making my second semi-final.

"Beating Novak here for me, for sure it`s great ... but I`m still far from winning the tournament."

Wawrinka is well aware of the challenge he faces from Berdych, the man who he beat in the fourth round at last year`s U.S. Open before the Swiss lost the semi-final to Djokovic, again in five sets.

"He`s going to be a tough player to beat. He already made one final in one slam," Wawrinka added of Berdych`s 2010 Wimbledon final loss to Rafa Nadal.

"So he`s there. He`s really close from the top, top guys. It`s going to be a tough battle, you know."

Berdych has had a relatively comfortable run into the final four and, with Djokovic`s loss and Roger Federer and Andy Murray playing each other on Wednesday, the chance of a maiden grand slam has never been more open.

"I`m going to give 100 percent into that match and really not looking into the future," Berdych said.

"So really I will make everything what I have left. If it`s going to be the lucky one, the winning one, I`m going to try to prepare myself somehow and be ready for the final."

LI FAVOURITE

Fourth seed Li`s title chances have also increased markedly and the 31-year-old Chinese`s recent record at Melbourne - she has made the semi-finals four times and the final twice since 2010 - has made her a title favourite.

That tag has been increased by the early exits of the top three seeds - Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Sharapova - though she will face a supremely confident teenager in Bouchard.

"It`s something I`ve been doing since I was five years old and working my whole life for and sacrificing a lot of things for," said Bouhcard when asked if she could quite believe she had made her first grand slam semi-final.

"So it`s not exactly a surprise. I always expect myself to do well.

"I`m just happy to have gone through this step. I`m not done. I have a match on Thursday. I`m just looking forward to that."

Li`s biggest challenge could come from fifth seed Radwanksa, who clinically took apart twice defending champion Azarenka in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

The Pole, however, must first beat the dynamic Cibulkova, who knocked out Sharapova then demolished Halep in the quarter-finals.

"A couple (of) seeded (players) are out," Radwanska said of the unlikely semi-final makeup.

"Doesn`t mean it`s going to be easier and you have a title right away, it means that other players are playing great tennis this week.

"That`s why they beat the top seed players."