Federer sends Murray packing
Second-seed Roger Federer moves into the semi-finals of the event he has won five times and will face Milos Raonic.
Five-time Cincinnati winner Roger Federer blunted Andy Murray’s attempt at a comeback as he moved into the semi-finals at the Western & Southern Open.
The second-seeded Federer defeated Murray 6-3, 7-5 after the Scot had taken a 4-1 lead in the second set.
World number three Federer said he had “lost a little bit of the rhythm” before rebounding against the eighth-seeded Murray in the second set.
“From the baseline, he was hitting the ball well – harder and deeper…” Federer told reporters. “I snuck in a quick break, and next thing you know, I’m back. I feel like I stole that second set.”
Federer will face Canadian fifth-seed Milos Raonic in Saturday’s semi-finals with surprising Frenchman Julien Benneteau meeting Spain’s David Ferrer in the other.
Raonic breezed past 15th-seed Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-1, 6-0 in a quarter-final mis-match that lasted only 57 minutes.
Benneteau delivered the day’s shock with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 ousting of Swiss world number four Stan Wawrinka to reach his first Masters semi-final.
Benneteau belted nine aces and broke serve four times as he earned his second victory over a top-10 opponent this year and became the first Frenchman in 14 years to advance to the Cincinnati semis.
Ferrer outlasted fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 a day after Robredo, the 16th-seed, had stunned world number one Novak Djokovic.