Novak Djokovic needed a fightback while Roger Federer eased into the Swiss Indoors semi-finals in Basel on Friday.
Top seed Djokovic fought back to dispatch Marcos Baghdatis 2-6 6-2 6-3 to confirm a welcome return to form.
The Serb set up a clash with rising Japanese star Kei
Nishikori, a 6-4 5-7 6-4 winner in nearly three hours over Kazak Mikhail
Kukushkin.
Federer, the No.3, was efficiently ruthless in front of his fanatical
hometown crowd as he inflicted a 21st defeat on Andy Roddick from 23
meetings with the American.
Federer next meets compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat German Florian Mayer 6-2 6-2.
Federer's 64-minute match was the fourth time the pair
have played at the Swiss player's home event, with Federer winning all
with the cumulative loss of just one set.
"It was a tough day for Andy, he wasn't at his best,"
said Federer, who is bidding to win a second title this season after
claiming Doha at the start of the year.
"This is the only match where he didn't serve well against me."
Federer finished off Roddick with back-to-back aces, his
third and fourth as he competes for the first time since mid-September
after resting some minor injuries.
"It didn't seem like he was so much into his game. My
game got better as I went along, especially on serve. I'm pleased to be
into another semi-final and facing Stan is always tough."
Federer has lost only once against Wawrinka, his gold
medal Beijing Olympic doubles partner whom he has beaten three times
this season.
Djokovic, competing for the first time in six week after
back trouble, fought off a dozen aces from Baghdatis to move into the
last four at the event he won in 2009 over Federer.
He dropped serve twice in the opening set but quickly put his game right to steam through in just over 90 minutes.
"I'm not playing so strong but I'm winning, that's the important thing," said Djokovic.
"It was a tense match, Marcos played well.
"He started well, I had no life on the court. But I made
the crucial break at 3-2 and that was the key to the match, that decided
it.
"I had my chance to comeback in the match and I did. I know my game will get better. I'm just impatient for that to happen."
Djokovic's win was his 67th of a sensational season against just three losses.
The 32nd-ranked Nishikori will be competing in his third
semi-final in six weeks after making it to the final four last month in
Kuala Lumpur and at the Shanghai Masters, which was the best showing of
his career.
"It's a great feeling," he said after the victory.
"I knew this would be tough but another semi-final is a great result for me".
"I was up a break in the second set and didn't really
think I'd be playing a third but I struggled a bit. I played the last
three games of the match very strong."
The Florida-based Nishikori took 20 minutes short of three hours to win his sixth quarter-final from seven played this season.
"He's had a great last few months and is a very talented player," said opponent Djokovic.
"It should be a good match."
sydneymorningherald
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