Federer sets up Ferrero clash

WORLD number two Roger Federer may have felt he was a little off-key, but he did enough to beat the in-form David Nalbandian in four sets and seal an Australian Open semi-final showdown with Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The Spanish third seed had earlier wrestled past spirited Moroccan Hicham Arazi 6-1 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) to reach his first Australian Open semi -final.

On the line tomorrow will not only be a place in the final of the season- opening Grand Slam, against either Andre Agassi or Marat Safin, but the world number one ranking.