Federer sets DelPo clash

Shanghai : No. 2 seed Roger Federer has reached the Shanghai Rolex Masters semi-finals.

2014 Shanghai champion Federer edged France’s Richard Gasquet 7-5 6-4.

Federer blew a break point in the third game but managed to save Gasquet’s break point try in the sixth game. 

The Swiss routinely served out for the opener in the 12th game after converting his second break point chance of the match a game earlier.

Gasquet dropped his serve in the first game of the second set but broke back in the following game to make it 1-1.

The Frenchman managed to hold on to his serve until the seventh game of the set.

Federer took a 4-3 lead and then held on to his serve to close out the match.

The No. 2 seed won 79 percent of his first serve points, broke Gasquet three times and saved 2-of-3 od the Frenchman’s break point chances on Friday.

It took an hour and 18 minutes of play for Federer to improve to a 16-2 head-to-head record against Gasquet.

Federer is now set to meet No. 16 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the Shanghai Rolex Masters semi-finals.

Argentina’s del Potro survived a tricky clash against Serb Viktor Troicki 4-6 6-1 6-4.

Troicki broke del Potro in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead before he saved a break point in the 10th game to seal the first set.

Del Potro stormed to take a 3-0 second set lead and never looked back as he went on to comfortably force a decider.

The decisive break of the match came in the fifth game of the third set.

Del Potro saved a game point before he broke Troicki to take a 3-2 lead.

The Argentine then held on to his serve to clinch the win after just over two hours of play.

Del Potro hit eight aces, won 77 percent of his first serve points and broke Troicki three times on Friday.