Any time Serena Williams gets bounced out early in a slam, it’s big news around the tennis world. Especially here in the States. That the eight-time slam winner went down in straight sets to No.3 seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic on her favorite court down under in the quarterfinals was a bit of a surprise. Especially when the defending Australian Open winner had played so well cruising through her first four matches without dropping a set.

None of that mattered though in her Tuesday quarter against a game Jankovic who was determined to avenge a Round of 16 defeat from a year prior in the same major.

The 22 year-old Jankovic hit the cleaner balls all match committing 19 fewer unforced errors than an erratic Serena who misfired on 36. Combined with an unSerena-like five doubles including one in the final game which allowed her opportunistic foe to comeback for the service break, it all added up to a straight sets 6-3, 6-4 victory for the Serb who awaits the winner between top seeded Justine Henin and fifth seeded Russian Maria Sharapova (later today 3:30 AM EST/12:30 AM PT, ESPN2).

“It was an unbelievable match, I am still shaking,” a very pleased Jankovic told the Associated Press later about reaching her first ever Aussie Open semifinal. “I am so happy.

With her opponent needing one more point on her usually reliable serve to level the second set at five apiece, an aggressive Jankovic continued to apply the pressure and end the match there. When her speed forced a couple of Williams’ misses from the baseline, suddenly the game was back to Deuce. It was then that Serena hit her fifth double of the match as groans came down from the capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena.

Usually, the 26 year-old American who’s won the Australian Open three different times is so composed and determined when facing elimination points. But instead of coming up with the goods as she normally does on that court, Williams was outslugged by her focused opponent and then missed a couple of feet wide on a forehand to give Jankovic the two-set win along with a measure of revenge.

“I came here with no expectations — it’s amazing to beat the defending champion and in general a champion like Serena, it doesn’t happen every day.“

• While the ESPN team of Mary Carillo, Mary Joe Fernandez along with Patrick McEnroe and Darren Cahill acted so stunned that she lost, I must admit to not being all that surprised because Jankovic is a quality player who one of these times is going to breakthrough and win a major. Maybe this is the year it finally happens. She’ll be up against a difficult opponent in the semis whether it’s the world’s best player Henin or the resilient but powerful Sharapova.

The only startling aspect was that Williams didn’t put up much of a fight which was very uncharacteristic. You would’ve expected it to go the distance. But not on this 80+ degree day in Melbourne Park.

It was Jankovic’s day to shine. Maybe too it’s her tournament since she was on the brink in the first round fighting off three match points before coming back to advance. We’ll see.

One other point on Serena losing. When you don’t play every tournament, you’re not going to have as many ranking points to be ranked where you should. She did come in seeded seventh. Sometimes, when that happens, she’s going to have to play very tough competition in the early portion of draws. This time, it cameback to bite her.

Oddly enough, all three of Serena’s wins in Australia came in odd years (2003, 2005 & 2007). So maybe there was a lot of weird karma going against her. Anyone think she’ll make it a fourth Aussie Open title in 2009?!?!?!?!?!

Don’t bet against it.

In the first men’s quarterfinal, No.2 seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal is leading Finn Jarkko Nieminen by two sets and a break. The fiery 21 year-old three-time French Open rating champion is trying to reach his first semi down under.

The opening set was very competitive with Nieminen holding two set points on Rafa’s serve but the feisty Spaniard dug out of the hole with some big first serves and huge forehands to hold for five all. Trailing 30-0 in the 11th game, he won a challenge which reversed a Nieminen shot giving him the point which McEnroe correctly noted:

“Could be big.“

It was because from there, a determined Nadal took the next three points breaking on a well struck forehand return winner off a Nieminen first serve. That came only a point after an entertaining 24-stroke extended rally in which a hustling Nadal dug out a volley by the Finn and then wound up winning the point on a lob volley which was out of his opponent’s reach.

Not surprisingly, the hard fought first set which Nadal closed with no trouble took the sting out of Nieminen. Rafa currently leads 7-5, 6-3, 3-0 needing only three more games to wrap up a spot in the Final Four.

Unless Nieminen produces a miracle (highly unlikely), Rafa would await the winner between Russian Mikhail Youzhny and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Tsonga has played extremely well in ousting fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet and Andy Murray- both top 10 players. No small task there.

However, we’ll take the speedy Russian veteran to wear down Tsonga in four sets. Youzhny can run for days and it’s a good bet that the wear and tear could get to his younger inexperienced foe.

The other two men’s quarters will feature two-time defending champ Roger Federer taking on American James Blake and third seeded Serb Novak Djokovic who was a straight set winner over Australia’s own Lleyton Hewitt- taking on Spaniard David Ferrer in a U.S. Open rematch of a semifinal last September.

American Venus Williams will take on fourth seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic tomorrow and ninth seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova will battle Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska for a spot in the semis.

Venus vs Ivanovic is kind of like Serena-Jankovic. An American Williams against a younger Serb. It’s a pick’em. If the good Venus shows up, she’ll prevail. If not, then take Ivanovic.

As for the 24 year-old looker Hantuchova, this is her first slam quarter since 2003. It’s a huge opportunity for her to make a semifinal for the first time in her career. She’s certainly gifted enough from the baseline and can line up winners. We’ll see if she can take advantage of a younger opponent who’s already had an unreal tournament knocking out Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nadia Petrova in the last two rounds. 

There’s obviously nothing to lose for the 18 year-old rising star whose best slam result was the Round of 16 at the 2006 Wimbledon and last year here at the U.S. Open.

Plenty more on the line for Hantuchova.

Update: Nadal completes a straight set triumph over Nieminen cruising to a 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 win to make his first ever Aussie Open semifinal.

More coverage much later today.