Jankovic dumps champion Serena then admits: Making it into the last four has almost killed me off

The third seed booked her place in the last four in Melbourne after ousting defending champion Serena Williams in straight sets 6-3 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.

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It is only the third time the 22-year-old has reached the last four of a Grand Slam after losing in the semi-finals at last year's French Open and the 2006 US Open.

And Jankovic's efforts have been all the more impressive considering she has been batting a thigh injury since the Hopman Cup in Perth in the first week of January

The Serb was also down match point in her opening game against Austrian Tamira Paszek before coming through 12-10 in the deciding set.

In fact Jankovic had spent more than three hours extra on court than three-time Australian Open champion Williams prior to their meeting on Tuesday.

But despite needing more treatment for a quad injury midway through the second set, Jankovic still won through against a battling yet below-par Williams.

"I'm like a wounded animal, I still keep going," Jankovic said.

"The most important thing is that I fight on the court and I always give my best and I never give up."

In fact Jankovic believes her injury problems over the last three weeks have actually helped her.

"I don't have any big injuries but I have pains and soreness in many places," she added.

"And when it was 3-2 in the second set and I felt a sharp pain in my quad, it was like a knife went in my leg.

"I want to be healthy and I want to play without pain but then again when I have pain I seem to focus more."

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I've done it: Jankovic celebrates beating Serena Williams

Jankovic was down 2-0 before winning the next four games to take a stranglehold on the first set.

She crucially saved three break points in the eighth game to hold her advantage before breaking again in the next to claim the set when Williams hit a forehand volley into the net.

It was one of 36 unforced errors Williams made during the match compared to just 17 by Jankovic, while the American also served five double faults compared to the number three seed's none.

Jankovic broke Williams in her first service game of the second set to lead 2-0 and although the defending champion broke back in the next game, her chances effectively disappeared in the fourth game when she was broken again.

The Serb then had her injury scare in the next game and although she stumbled when serving for the match in the ninth game, such was Jankovic's dominance of Williams' serve - she broke her on seven occasions as Williams won just 25 percent of points on her second serve - that Jankovic broke again in the next game to seal what she described as the best win of her career.

"It probably is because defeating a defending champion and a champion like Serena doesn't happen every day," she said.

"I've beaten the Williams' sisters a couple of times but here it is very special because last year in this tournament I lost to her in the fourth round.

"Now getting revenge it feels so good and I'm so happy to be in the semi-final."

Yet she is still pinching herself after nearly suffering a shock first-round exit to unheralded Austrian Paszek.

"When I think about this I get goose bumps actually," added Jankovic.

"If you see that match point I saved on that first day you wouldn't believe I could actually win that point.

"And now being in a semi-final after those matches that I survived, well it doesn't get any better than that."