Fed Express thunders towards showdown
The 24-year-old Swiss star booked his place in the last four at Roland Garros for the second consecutive year with a 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory over Mario Ancic, the 12th seed from Croatia.
Federer, who won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2005 as well as the Australian Open in 2006, was defeated in the semis here last year by eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
But he is adamant his game has improved as he prepares to tackle third seed David Nalbandian on Friday.
“My physical form is quite similar compared to last year but I think my game is better this year,” said Federer.
“I also have more experience as I have played more games on clay. This is also the second consecutive time I have reached the semi-final so I have a better feeling about it. I would say that I have progressed as a whole and I have also found solutions that allow me to make things better on clay.”
Federer is expected to face arch-rival Nadal in the final on Sunday. The pair faced each other in both the Monte Carlo and Rome finals this year, with the Spaniard prevailing twice over four and five sets respectively.
Nadal has also looked invincible this week, extending his unbeaten run on clay to 57 games.
“Everyone would love me and Rafael to play the final here except two players who will be standing in our way soon,” added Federer.
Nadal will play his quarter-final clash against Serbia and Montenegro’s rising star Novak Djokovic. If he wins, he will have to oust either fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic or unseeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau — ranked 95th in the world — in the last four to reach the final, and a potential new chapter in the Federer-Nadal saga.
Venus Williams set her sights on claiming a fourth Wimbledon title after bowing out of the French Open at the quarter-final stage.
The American 11th seed was defeated by rising Czech star Nicole Vaidisova, who fought back from a set down to take a 6-7 (5/7) 6-1 6-3 victory in two hours and eight minutes.
“I am disappointed, I would have loved to have done better,” said Williams, who has missed much of the season with various injuries.
Victorious Vaidisova refused to get carried away by her success, even though she only managed to get to the second round last year in her first appearance at Roland Garros.
“I am very excited to be through but I am not thinking about the title,” said the 17-year-old.
Vaidisova, the 16th seed, will take on eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi-finals tomorrow after the Russian fought back from a 5-1 deficit in the first set to sink compatriot Dinara Safina 7-6 (7-5) 6-0.
In the other semi-final, defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne will meet fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters.
Henin-Hardenne, the fifth seed who won the French Open in 2003 and 2005, overcame Germany’s Ana-Lena Groenefeld 7-5 6-2 while world number two Clijsters of Belgium progressed through by ousting 12th seed Martina Hingis 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.
It will be a chance for world number two Clijsters to avenge her 6-0 6-4 defeat in the 2003 Roland Garros final.
