World No.2 Roger Federer has ousted pesky ninth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-0 to book his spot in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Masters.
Federer, who has a 15-1 record this season on the ATP Tour, remains on course for an unprecedented fifth Indian Wells title after winning previously in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2012.
He next faces Canada’s Milos Raonic, who upset third seed Rafael Nadal in the other men’s quarter-final on Friday.
“I found it quickly today. I felt like I was hitting the ball and playing the right way and when those two things happen it is always going to be tough for him,” said Federer, who has lost just 22 games in four matches.
Federer is now 13-6 lifetime against Berdych, although the Czech has given the 17-times grand slam champion all kinds of trouble on some of the game’s biggest stages – in the 2004 Athens Olympics, 2010 Wimbledon and 2012 US Open.
Berdych had also won two of their last three heading into Friday’s contest.
“I was trying to play a good match and not thinking so much about what has happened in the past,” Federer said. “I really played well off the baseline.
Federer said it was nice to get a quick match – just 68 minutes – out of the say so he has more time to get ready for Saturday’s semi-final.
“To get a match like this against a top guy gives you confidence,” he said. “I have had some pretty tough matches against him in the past.”
Raonic blasted 19 aces and hammered a series of thunderous forehands to upset Nadal 4-6 7-6 (12-10) 7-5 in a marathon match lasting three hours on the Tennis Garden’s centre court.
The Canadian sixth seed saved three match points en route to earning his first victory over Nadal in six career meetings dating back to 2010.
Raonic said he had to forget about who he was playing against and just try and figure out what he had to do to play better.
“It’s having a better match judgement of when to sort of step up, when you can sort of hold back,” he said.
“Not get too caught up in the person you’re playing and respect them, but not give them too much overwhelming respect where it affects your tennis.
“I think when you have knowledge, when you have an understanding, it gives you some kind of peace.
“It gives you some kind of calm during a match that you can really believe and understand what you need to do to find the solutions.”
