MELBOURNE, Australia -- Rainer Schuettler has discovered a new weapon to help him fight the baseline bullies at the Australian Open -- taekwondo.

Following his convincing 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 victory against Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian, the German said the secret behind his run to the semifinals was a punishing preseason training regime that incorporated the Korean martial art.

"I have a taekwondo teacher, so I really practice that a lot. That's why I'm always fit at the beginning of the year," said Schuettler, who turned to tennis after watching Boris Becker win three Wimbledon titles in the 1980s.

The super-fit Schuettler, who led the German challenge in Melbourne in the absence of Tommy Haas and Nicolas Kiefer, simply out-hustled Nalbandian in a workmanlike display.

"I run and run and run," said the 31st seed, whose previous best showing at a Grand Slam event had been a fourth-round appearance here in 2001.

"But I don't think you win matches just because you have quick feet. To reach a Grand Slam semifinal is a dream for me, but I think I deserve to be here."

Schuettler, 26, will next play either American No. 9 seed Andy Roddick or Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui, who ousted top seed Lleyton Hewitt.

Schuettler, only the fifth German man to reach the last four in Melbourne since the Open Era began in 1968, said, however, that he was a little fortunate to have come this far.

After beating former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek in the second round, he received a walkover in the next match when Marat Safin withdrew with a wrist injury.

"Maybe I am lucky to be in the semis. Maybe I was lucky in the third round, but there is no pressure for me," said a delighted Schuettler. "I'm just happy to be here and I will just keep going."

Schuettler said that his success Down Under showed the strength in depth of tennis in Germany.

"Of course, everybody in Germany saw Becker win Wimbledon and that (started) a big boom. The expectations are very high. Becker won Grand Slam tournaments, Michael Stich won Wimbledon ... Steffi Graf," he said.

"Everybody is saying that there's a gap in German tennis, I don't think so. Nicolas was there, now he's injured. Tommy was No. 2 in the world for a long time last year.

"I think it's normal that the expectations of the people in Germany are very high."