I have not got time to watch this - but I note that nobody else seems to have any interest. Is it that much of a foregone conclusion?

BTW - Fed takes first set 6-3 (two breaks to one) and games going with service in the second up until 2-2 with a bit of a struggle at deuce on the Robredo serve in the fifth game.

Come on Fed - let's see a big S-F with Roddick.

Nice work by Fed so far.

I'm just enthralled by how amazing this guy is.

Well so far, Fed hasn't been playing his best tennis, but I have to give credit to Robredo for continuing to stay positive, even when Fed hammers him now and then. He doesn't play bad points after good points from Fed.

break! 6-3 5-4 Fed serving

Barry (and all) I am following the match from the AO radio: During almost all the first set as well in this second set they are point forward as FED is playing very aggressively on the net: it always him trying to short the point and take the net.

It seems he has already played several volleys :whistle: Master is under the influence of Tony :rolleyes: ...As an abstract of their comment: you have really the feeling that he is training his offensive game and his approach to the net!!! In a quarter of a GS !!!!

I hope really he is not taking this quarter for an easy win...Nothing is easy out there...In particular against a fully fit Robredo: This guy can run and stay there for hours.. :D

:( 5-5, Really unconcentrated game from Fed...

Sadly he gets broken back as he missed a tricky volley :(

I almost have the feeling he's already thinking about the SF. He really has to start concentrating better. Robredo's not going to to hand him the match.

WOW@ THAT VOLLEY BY ROGER!

And the set goes to rog.
He leads 2sets to love.

This match is as good as over I think..so I'll goo sleep ;)

If Fed plays such scrappy tennis, ARod will be all over him.

Well, in the TB Fed was once again as sharp as a knife. I do have the feeling Fed has been slightly underestimating Robredo. He's not going to underestimate Roddick.

and there's the first break 2-0 Fed

That's a big "if" though Chet. Federer just seems a bit flat here - almost as if he's going through a chore before the main event.

Has to be said though, that assuming Federer makes his way through this (and he's just broken for 2-0 in the third) it could well be the most genuinely competitive Federer-Roddick match at a slam in ages.

And just as I post that, Robredo breaks back to 15...

Tommy breaks back. He is hitting some fine groundshots frustrating Federer.

Federer is well in control now. Just finish of the third set. It would be weird if he won the AO in straights rather than Wimb.

this match is far from over. Robredo is fighting back. Could it another match like Tommy Haas's last year ?

Seems to be another TB. If Tommy can get this, anything can happen.

Robredo saves a match point at 30-40, but two points later it's all over.

Federer wins 6-3 7-6 7-5

Good fight from Robredo, but realistically the result was always down to how well Federer played. He'll need to step it up a level or two against Roddick though.

11th straight slam semi-final for Federer - can't imagine too many can match that.

Fed just broke Ivan Landl's max of 10 straight SFs. But as you said, if Federer doesn't step it up, Andy will beat him.
This is what we were hoping. I'm going for Andy 7-5 or 7-6 in the fourth.

Andy, Federer has just broken Lendl's record of 10 consecutive slam semis.

I'm not surprised by the rather sluggish nature of this match. It is what we have come to expect from Federer. Apart from Wimbledon last year, he always contrives to put in a couple of unfocussed matches without ever coming close to losing. Watching them can be awful, like listening to an out of tune violin but I expect he'll be a different man on Thursday.

Let's put it this way: he is in another Slam SF, without having dropped a set. Could be worse.

I'm really looking forward to the SF, although I hope Fed will just blow Roddick away. I think a lot is going to depend on Roddick's serving.

If its a closed roof, the advantage may go to Federer as the ball will not fly that fast. But if you've looked at the history of almost every Fed-Roddick match, there has been one set decided by a critical TB lost of AROD. I think the same case is to be in the SF. If AROD can win it, he should win.
But its critical for Andy to take the first set.

It's a fascinating match-up alright.

Federer, despite the massive H2H advantage will have that seed of doubt planted by the Kooyong result and his narrow squeak in Shanghai.

Roddick, despite his recent good form and improved performances against Federer, must still have a seed of doubt about whether he can beat Federer over 5 sets.

I'll plump narrowly for Federer, perhaps in a tight 5 sets, but it really would not surprise me too much if Roddick v2.0 edged this one.

They always say its a sign of a champion when they are winning even when they're far from their best. It should be an intriguing match.

Yeah Id go for Federer if he plays his A game not like today . But it will most likely be a close 4 or 5 setter either way. Federer though just seems to have the ability to play the big points well even when below par and that could make the difference . :unsure: But a fascinating match :)

I don't watch much snooker but I saw some last week and Ronnie O'Sullivan was looking well below his best and only just scraped into the final. And lo and behold, in the final, played some of the best snooker I've seen in my life.

It wouldn't surprise me to see a rather different Federer on Thursday

We'll see a different Federer all right. I saw a few moments of the Robredo game and Federer did just enough and no more - but he still won in 3 sets. Unfortunately, I don't think he treated Robredo with a great amount of respect. He will do so with Roddick.

I think Roddick has a respectable chance, but Federer remains the strong favourite:

* As much as Roddick will take from the closeness of the Shanghai game, it was only the best of 3 and, when the crunch came, Federer won out

* Kooyong is almost irrelevant - e.g. Tommy Haas last year

* I think the fact that it is a 5-setter is crucial. Can Roddick really take 3 sets off Federer? Does he believe he can? I am not convinced on either count. Federer obviously has a tick in both boxes when he considers Roddick

* Roddick probably must win the 1st set - the rest of the match then effectively becomes a best of 3 for him. Even then, he still has a mountain to climb not unlike the one that Murray had against Nadal

* Trouble for Roddick is that his limited game means he has to have all his good cylinders firing. Federer has other options and can get through bumpy patches that Roddick just can't.

I'll be pulling for Roddick, but I have a feeling it will be Federer in three (unless he's gotten bored of all his straight set victories and lets up a little in the middle of the match).

This won't be easy for Fed, his last few matches with Roddick have been tougher and tougher, I just feel that eventually Roddick will make a breakthrough, it could well be on thursday.

Having said that, I often underestimate Fed's chances, as I do of most players/teams I support in all sports.

Also if you read the Federer interview after Kooyong he said the wind was a factor so he had to try different things.He was actually feeling his tennis out.He did the classic Serve and Volley coz he hadnt done it in a while.So as much as that Kooyong loss is a worry we will definetly see a different Federer,one similar to to the Djokovic Federer but at a level above that.I think he loves denying Roddick Grand Slams.

Roddick on the other hand has one dimensional tennis and not much of a plan B.We all know that he cannot duke it out with Federer from the baseline which now automatically means he has to serve out of his skin to get to the net to win points.And even so,he needs to be volleying with great effect.

So its quite a mouth watering prospect!

Im going with the obvious,the man, The Fedster!

IMO AROD owns his best chance to beat FED and if he will not take it I really guess he will be very depressing for him (i.e. expect a down for the rest of the season :yikes: ).

I mean this guy has worked so hard and spend so much time to close the gap with Roger and now he has simply the opportunity to prove he achieve something: I definitely believe that this time he will take at the minimum 1 set to Roger and even my most likely outcome it is to see him taking even two sets from him and force FED to the fifth B) ...

In the other hand my general feeling about Roger is really that until now he has used his A Game only in one occasion, i.e. against Djoko.

If I assume that his current Tennis level it is the one he was able to provide during Djoko's match then I really believe that even if AROD would be able to push him to a five sets match he will not be able to win :whistle: .

Nevertheless, the final outcome is difficult to call: my feeling is that AROD would carry finally even more pressure than FED and this could be an additional element which might give an advantage to FED.

An interesting statistic - Federer came to the net 63 times in his match, winning 73% of the points. Roddick only came to the net 19 times against Fish. I'm not sure what it means but does reinforce the impression that Federer was practising his net play.

As people have rightly pointed out, winning the first set could be vital for Roddick's hopes - in the US Open final Roddick was pretty much blitzed in the first set, so had to throw everything he had at Federer in the middle two sets, then when these sets were shared he seemed to have nothing left in the tank physically or mentally for the fourth set - which he lost heavily.

yep and I suspect that is what cost him so many games. The stat is good in itself but I am sure the percentage of winning points is higher when he stays at the back. It was clear in the 1set that his going to the net cost him a few broken serves.

Once again guys (and girls) the real match to use as a benchmark of FED current tennis level it is his match against Djoko.

Still even in that occasion, FED was coming more than usual on the net: I guess he will do a more stay back strategy against AROD. :rolleyes:

I think he was getting in a bit of net practice for the A-Rod match cos he thought he could afford to mess about a bit against Robredo. Good strategy in the scheme of things - onyl the like sof Fed coudl get awy with that though..

just as i expected, a straights sets workout for Fed.............not the most thrilling really :rolleyes: roflmao

It certainly was like listening to an out of tune violin!! :yikes:

It was similar to his match against Davydenko last year where he did just about enough to get through seemed quite laborious.

I just thought that he really couldn't focus on this match very well. He framed so many shots, hit so many UE's.. seemed almost human!! :yikes: His serving was poorer than usual, movement wasn't quite up to its usual excellent standard. The might Fed wasn't quite at the races and yet still won in straight sets.

This isn't meant to take anything away from Tommy R. He played well, with a lot of spirit, and having beaten some very good players en route, deserves respect. I think that he's quite a difficult player to break down, is a good returner of serves and has a decent forehand.

Fed certainly did experiment in the first set, and felt like a low-key practice match at times.. and he barely got out of second gear really, and ran the risk of getting caught in a rut.. Thankfully even second gear was enough. :phew:

It made for pretty turgid viewing though. But as with everyone else, I'd think that Thursday's match will be a different proposition. :ok: