American serve-volleyer Taylor Dent charged into the AAPT Championships semi-finals with a straight-sets thrashing of highly-rated Swede Thomas Johansson.

Dent, the No.5 seed, underlined his Australian Open credentials with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 win and now plays French qualifier Michael Llodra for a place in Sunday's final.

"I'm feeling more and more comfortable but I'm not quite executing the way I'd like to be executing," Dent said.

"But then again I'm never satisfied."

"I guess I served really well and I played well from the baseline. I didn't miss too much so I can't really complain."

Johansson, making his comeback after an injury-enforced 12-month absence, had been outstanding in accounting for Christophe Rochus and third-seed Arnaud Clement on his way to the quarter-finals.

But Dent quickly demonstrated he had the game to counter the consistent Swede.

Dent's powerful first serve placed Johansson under suffocating pressure and the American unleashed several scorching forehands to unsettle the Swede's baseline rhythm.

Relentlessly chipping and charging on Johansson's second serve, Dent took control at the net but a determined Johansson refused to lie down, forcing Dent to call on a monster serve to save a set point at 4-5.

When Johansson surrendered meekly in the next game Dent served for the first set but, strangely, his serve deserted him temporarily allowing Johnasson to break back.

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