Melbourne, Jan 22  : Defending Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Romanian number one Simona Halep have been forced out of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year following their quarter-final defeats on Wednesday.

Polish star Agnieszka Radwanska beat the Belarussian world number two 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 in their quarter-final match at the Rod Laver Arena to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Halep, who was playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, was beaten 6-3, 6-0 by Slovak player Dominika Cibulkova at the Rod Laver Arena, who reached her first Australian Open semi-final.

Cibulkova will next meet Radwanska in a semi-final clash at the tournament. (ANI)