Australian Open 2012 Scores: Day 10 Scores and Results Summary

With all eight tickets punched to the semifinals in the men's and women's draws, things are certainly beginning to get serious in the 2012 Australian Open.

As expected, all four top seeds remain on the men's side, and you could argue the four best women are still alive as well.

There's no question that there have been some solid matches to this point, but each and every matchup remaining is intriguing and could honestly go either way. With that said, all four Day 10 matches were washouts as the clearly better player won in each instance.

Here are the results and analysis of every Day 10 Aussie Open singles match.

No. 2 Petra Kvitova d. Sara Errani (6-4, 6-4)

When No. 2 Petra Kvitova struggled to a three-set victory over the unheralded Carla Suarez-Navarro a couple rounds ago, many questioned her form. Kvitova has since answered those questions, however, as she has looked great, particularly in a fairly easy win over the overmatched Sara Errani in the quarterfinals. Kvitova's raw power and lefty look proved too much for the surprising Italian.

The win puts Kvitova in position to face Maria Sharapova in the semis. Kvitova holds a 2-1 career mark against Sharapova, shockingly beating her in the Wimbledon final last season. The tall Czech may have a power advantage over Sharapova, which is something few players can say, so she certainly has a chance to continue her pursuit of a second Grand Slam title.

No. 4 Andy Murray d. No. 24 Kei Nishikori (6-3, 6-3, 6-1)

There's no denying the talent of No. 4 Andy Murray as the only thing holding him back at this point is the lack of a Grand Slam title. Murray is one step closer to conquering that demon, however, as he put on a clinic in a straight-set victory over No. 24 Kei Nishikori.

Murray has been known for not pressing the issue late in major tournaments, but he was the aggressor from the start in this match.

Murray proved that in terms of talent, he belongs among the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Now, he needs to prove that he can beat those players on the big stage.

Murray is faced with the biggest challenge possible in the semis against Djokovic, the world No. 1. Djokovic hasn't showed any signs of slowing down so far, but Murray is playing about as well as he can right now. It should be a tightly contested match.

No. 4 Maria Sharapova d. Ekaterina Makarova (6-2, 6-3)

No. 4 Maria Sharapova certainly had to be happy when unheralded Russian countrywoman Ekaterina Makarova eliminated Serena Williams in the Round of 16, but Sharapova still had work to do as the decided favorite. She didn't disappoint as she blew Makarova out of the water with a tidy first-serve percentage and continued strong returns of Makarova's serves.

The match was a bit closer than the score line would suggest, but there's no question that Sharapova was the superior player. It would have been very easy for Sharapova to let her guard down with her rival Serena out of the tournament, but Sharapova remained focused. That focus will be integral in the semifinals as Sharapova will be out for vengeance against the woman who beat her in the Wimbledon final last year—Petra Kvitova.

No. 1 Novak Djokovic d. No. 5 David Ferrer (6-4, 7-6, 6-1)

Despite his top ranking, No. 1 Novak Djokovic was faced with the toughest quarterfinal matchup among the top four seeds in the men's draw. Djoker took on No. 5 David Ferrer, a player who knocked of Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open quarters last year. Lightning didn't strike twice for the crafty Spaniard, however, as Djokovic used his fantastic hard-court game to take care of Ferrer without much trouble in three sets.

Ferrer gave Djoker a bit of a scare in the second set as he took him to a tiebreak, but Djokovic came through and ultimately broke Ferrer's will to win the match. Djokovic will now take on Murray in what should be a difficult match, but if Djokovic plays to his potential, there isn't anyone who can beat him on this surface. At least he'll finally be faced with some true competition, though.