Five times Cincinnati winner Roger Federer blunted Andy Murray’s attempt at a comeback, while women’s world number one Serena Williams roared to victory as they moved into the semifinals at the Western & Southern Open on Friday.
The second-seeded Federer defeated Murray 6-3, 7-5 after the Scot had taken a 4-1 lead in the second set.
Williams, bidding for her first title at the Ohio hardcourt tournament, romped to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Serbian Jelena Jankovic in just 58 minutes.
Murray broke Federer in the third and fifth games of the set for his 4-1 lead. But his Swiss opponent fought back to level the set, breaking Murray twice and holding serve to pull even at 4-4. Both players held until Murray bowed out on his serve.
In the first set, Federer broke Murray for a 3-2 lead and closed out the set by breaking him again. Federer won 82 percent of his first serve points (14 of 17) and saved both break points he faced on his own serve.
Federer will face Canadian fifth-seed Milos Raonic in the semifinals 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 quarterfinal mis-match that lasted only 57 minutes.
Benneteau delivered the day's shock with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 ousting of Wawrinka to reach his first Masters semifinal. Ferrer outlasted fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Williams, unsuccessful in five previous attempts at Cincinnati, will face Dane Caroline Wozniacki for a chance to play for Sunday’s title.
The other semifinal will match Russian Maria Sharapova, who edged second-seed Simona Halep, against former world number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.
The 12th-seeded Wozniacki upended fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4. 7-6 (7-5) while Sharapova, seeded fifth, outlasted Romanian Halep 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Ivanovic beat Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3.
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