TORONTO, Aug 12: Roger Federer battled through to the Toronto Masters semi-finals with a 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 win over Xavier Malisse on Friday.
Playing his first event since claiming his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title, the world number one needed two hours and 30 minutes to put away Malisse, however, the Belgian seldom looked capable of halting the Swiss player's 51-match winning streak on north American hard courts.
Chile's Fernando Gonzalez overcame Argentine Jose Acasuso 6-1, 7-5 in an all-South American quarter-final and the 15th seed will be the next in line to try and stop Federer reaching his 17th consecutive final.
The other semi-final brings together two of the game's emerging talents, Briton Andy Murray and Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Friday’s results:
Quarter-finals: 15-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Jose Acasuso (Argentina) 6-1, 7-5; 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3; Andy Murray (Britain) beat 14-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-4, 6-7 (0-7), 6-3; Richard Gasquet (France) beat 13-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-1.
SHARAPOVA ON COURSE
LOS ANGELES: Resurgent Serena Williams overcame a strong challenge from fellow American Meghann Shaughnessy to move into the Los Angeles Open semi-finals with a 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 win on Friday.
Williams set up the prospect of a mouth-watering showdown with top seed Maria Sharapova in Sunday's final.
Russian Sharapova, chasing her second consecutive WTA Tour title, overwhelmed compatriot Dinara Safina 6-2, 6-4.
For the pair to meet in a dream tournament finale, however, Williams has to beat Serbian Jelena Jankovic and Sharapova must knock out fellow Russian Elena Dementieva in the last four.
Sixteenth seed Jankovic upset 10th-seeded compatriot Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 7-6 in their quarter-final and Dementieva, the third seed, recovered from a shaky first set to beat American wildcard Bethanie Mattek 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Results:
Quarter-finals: 1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 5-Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-2, 6-4; 3-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Bethanie Mattek (US) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1; 16-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) beat 10-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) 6-4, 7-6 (8-6); Serena Williams (US) beat Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-4.—Reuters