Australian Open 2012 Results And Scores: Andy Murray Downs Kei Nishikori

Andy Murray is into his third straight semifinal round at the Australian Open after downing No. 24 seed Kei Nishikori.

Murray, the tournament's No. 4 seed, beat Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in just over two hours and 10 minutes. Murray won 102 of the 172 points played, hitting backhand winners and solid volley.

Nishikori did 29 winners to Murray's 36. However, as the commentators frequently said throughout the match, Nishikori looked fatigued. But the Japense-born played made history as the first male singles player from his country to make it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Murray closed out the final set in only 29 minutes.

"I thought it was a good match," Murray said in the post-match interview on court. "It was a lot of good points. Most of the long points he was wining, so I was trying to keep them short."

Murray is playing in his first tournament under the guidance of new coach Ivan Lendl. The Great Brit is now in his fifth consecutive semifinal of a Grand Slam. He has reached the finals of the Australian Open for the last two years.

As for what Murray thought he needed to work on, he said it was his serve.

"Do you want to know your stat," asked the post-match interviewee.

"No, I don't," Murray said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

Murray converted 79 percent of his first serves and 56 percent of his second serves. The tournament's No. 4 seed will wait to play the winner of No. 1 seeded Novak Djokovic and No. 5 seeded David Ferrer in the final four Down Under.

Until then, he's going to work on his serve to help him bring home his first Grand Slam title.

"One last question. Hypothetically, how would you celebrate your Grand Slam victory," the interviewee asked Murray.

"Hmm," Murray said. "I'll come up with something and I'll let you know in the next couple days."