Roger Federer out to continue Swiss roll

Roger Federer

The hiccup of losing the Olympic Games final aside, Roger Federer has been in dominant form in recent weeks.

Ferderer is back at No.1 in the world and will now have the chance to prove that he is still the top dog in Switzerland, something that might not have carried too many bragging in the men’s game rights before his time.

Federer came through his quarter-final of the Cincinnati Masters with a 6-3, 7-6(7-4) victory over 10th seed Mardy Fish and will now play fellow countryman Stanislas Wawrinka.

The No.1 seed was in top form, winning 88% of his first-serve points without even facing a break point, as he beat the American for the eighth time in nine matches. Federer has now reached the semi-finals or better at 12 of the 13 tournaments he’s played this season. Not bad for a man being written off as past his best 12 months ago.

“It was pretty straightforward. Whoever was going to be more aggressive, serve more consistent, and then play maybe a tiny bit better from the baseline was probably going to win,” Federer said to atpworldtour.com. “I'm happy I was that guy tonight.”

Federer, who has won here four times already since 2005, is attempting to win a record-equalling 21st ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title this week and will go into the semi-final that comes with a 10-1 record against Wawrinka – who beat Milos Raonic 2-6, 7-6(7-5) - having won their past eight matches.

Not that Federer was saying that.

“I have a tough match-up with him. It's going to be a difficult one,” Federer said. “It seems like he's playing really well. I'm just excited for him and for me [that] two Swiss guys can make it to the semis here in Cincinnati. It's great.”

In the other half of the draw, Juan Martin del Potro will play Novak Djokovic.

Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, won the bronze-medal match against Djokovic at the Olympics, reached the semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Jeremy Chardy to end the Frenchman’s giant-killing run,

Chardy was only granted a place in the main draw following John Isner’s withdrawal but grabbed the chance with both hands as he beat Andy Roddick and defending champion Andy Murray to reach his second Masters quarter-final. But he had little answer to Del Potro, who lost only 12 points on serve and broke Chardy four times from 17 attempts.

"I think I'm in a good level at the moment after the Olympics," Del Potro said. "I have confidence to play against all the players. But anyway I'm still feeling a little difference between the top players and me. But I know I'm getting closer very slowly, so that's important. I'm working for that."

Djokovic was equally impressive in a 6-3, 6-2 dismissal of 12th-seeded Croatian Marin Čilić as he looks to get his game firmly back on track following what, by his standards of last season, was a lean spell after winning the Sony Open in Miami in April.

"All these losses made me stronger," Djokovic said. "They are difficult, especially when you're playing for a country and when you're in the Olympic Games and we're fighting for the bronze medal. He won that match. It happens. It's a sport. You lose, you win, but the most important thing is to try to move on and become even better and even stronger from those experiences and try to win. So tomorrow will be my opportunity to win against him."

Venus still on the rise in Cincinnati

Paul Wheeler

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