The third-seeded Swiss will play seventh-seeded Xavier
Malisse of Belgium on Sunday.
Wawrinka, who lost to Marin Cilic in last year's final,
steadily took control of the match against sixth-ranked Berdych, who beat Roger
Federer and Novak Djokovic on his way to the Wimbledon final last year.
In the other semifinal match, 2007 champion Malisse rallied
to beat Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
The 21st-ranked Wawrinka broke Berdych in the fifth game of
the first set. Wawrinka, who got a wild card, broke the Czech three times in
the second set and is now 4-4 in head-to-head meetings with Berdych.
“(It) feels good to beat him,” Wawrinka said. “I played my
best match today and was feeling at my best.” Wawrinka, who lost to Marin Cilic
in the final last year, beat Robin Haase in three sets in the quarterfinals
that went late into the night on Friday.
“I felt a little tired in the morning, but felt fresh and
ready before the match. I served really well, I played very well. I'm playing
better every match,” Wawrinka said.
The 49th-ranked Tipsarevic, who was a member of Serbia's
2010 Davis Cup winning team, broke his Belgian opponent in the second game of
the opening set.
“The first set I could not do much,” the 60th-ranked Malisse
said. “He was serving two aces a game, returning all my serves.” Malisse broke
Tipsarevic twice in each of the second and third sets.
“In the second set I started serving well and I was
returning well,” Malisse said. “The rest of the match I was playing better and
better.”
