Federer Cruises Into Semis

Even rain couldn't stop Roger Federer. The three-time defending Wimbledon champion continued his impressive run of not dropping a set. Facing his real first test, the Swiss world number one passed with flying colors by eliminating seventh seeded Croatian Mario Ancic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 at Centre Court Wednesday in London.

Despite two rain delays and facing a quality opponent who was the last to beat him at the All England Club four years ago in the first round, the seven-time slam winner was brilliant in extending his grass court win streak to 46 straight.

"I definitely had a period where it was so good, it was just incredible," Federer told reporters at a postmatch conference. "You're not afraid to try anything, you're not afraid to hit the ball hard, you're not afraid to go for aces. That's the sensation you get when you're playing so well. That's exactly what I felt today."

It only took four games before rain halted action for an hour and a half with the score tied two apiece. But when play resumed, a sharp Federer quickly broke Ancic for 3-2 with a running forehand pass. Though the 22 year-old 2004 semifinalist didn't play poorly by any stretch, it was enough of an opening for the No. 1 seed to claim a competitive first set in which each reached double digits in winners.

It didn't take long for Federer to break Ancic in the second set. Like a shark, he took it to his opponent in the opening game. Hitting three more of his 35 winners including two from the backhand which setup break point, he ripped a crosscourt forehand passing shot to get the early break.

Facing little pressure on his serve, Federer held twice more for 3-1 before Ancic made it 2-3. That's when rain once again delayed play for just under an hour.

When the players returned, each held twice before Federer finished off the set with a love service game to pull within one of the semifinals.

The third set started similarly to the second with an opportunistic champion rising to the occasion again to break his frustrated opponent. When Federer held and then broke Ancic again to take a double break 3-0 lead, it looked like he would cruise to an easy straight set win.

But Ancic wasn't ready to go home, returning the favor immediately with some more aggressive play, including a crosscourt forehand winner for the break. He made things even more interesting in the eighth game. After holding for 3-4, continuing to swing more freely, he setup break point to pull within one of suddenly leveling the set. But as Federer usually does, he got out of trouble with some magic, by striking a perfect forehand pass which left Ancic at the net letting out a frustrated scream.

It was the last chance he would get as Federer held for 5-3 before serving it out in style with an ace to clinch the victory.

"He's just Roger. What can you say?" Ancic said.

"He is a completely different grass-court player than he was then," he pointed out about getting the best of Federer four years ago. "It's very hard to say, 'Be aggressive. Attack him.' Because if you're just a little bit off with the speed of the ball (on the) approach, you're passed."

"If I keep up this sort of a performance, I don't see myself losing," added Federer, who is attempting to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to win Wimbledon without losing a set. "But look: It's Wimbledon. It's the semifinals. You don't want to underestimate anybody."

He'll next face surprise semifinalist Jonas Bjorkman. The 34 year-old Swedish veteran advanced with a hard fought five set comeback win over 14th seeded Czech Radek Stepanek 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (7), 6-4.

In a seesaw battle which featured some solid net play from both combatants, the doubles specialist fought off a match point in a pivotal fourth set tiebreak to pull off his second straight five set triumph.

After taking the opening set, Bjorkman ran into trouble when Stepanek raised his level of play to capture the next two sets and get an early break in the fourth.

But with a chance to serve it out, the 27 year-old first time slam quarterfinalist tightened up by double faulting three times, including one untimely serve which kept his older foe alive.

Given a new life, Bjorkman capitalized in a seesaw tiebreak. After letting a 4-1 minibreak lead slip away, he fought back from 6-5 down, bravely saving a match point with a textbook serve and volley which was punctuated with a winner. He finally claimed the breaker 9-7 to force a deciding set.

In it, the two players traded breaks before Bjorkman broke again and made it hold up. After a backhand winner setup match point, an unreturned serve gave the 57th ranked player a berth in a slam semifinal for the first time since the 1997 U.S. Open.

"I didn't really believe that I had any semifinals left in me," Bjorkman said after celebrating the big win in style by 'hugging the crowd.'

"It's an unbelievable feeling, a big surprise. I wanted to stay out there and hug everyone."

While Bjorkman became the second to reach the semis, 18th seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis continued his surprising run by eliminating 2002 champ Lleyton Hewitt in four sets 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

The Australian Open runner up outslugged Hewitt from the baseline en route to 53 winners- 24 more than the No.6 seed's 29.

Seemingly in command up a set and two breaks, Baghdatis came crashing back to earth to blow the second set. After Hewitt had already gotten a break back, the Cypriot still had a chance to serve for a two set lead but couldn't finish it off against the fiesty Hewitt, whose guile and all out hustle allowed him to turn around the match- breaking his suddenly struggling opponent twice more to square it.

After each player traded breaks in the third set, it went to a crucial tiebreak. In it, Baghdatis jumped out to a 5-2 minibreak lead. But when Hewitt denied a set point for 5-6 to get it back on serve, anything was possible. That's when Baghdatis came up with the shot of the match, returning a Hewitt kick serve with a quick backhand reply down the line to emphatically capture the set. The energetic Cypriot celebrated by pumping his fist and smiling at his Mom and girlfriend.

It would prove to be the beginning of the end for Hewitt, who was broken twice in the fourth set. Up 5-2, Baghdatis converted his seventh break point (7/7) when a Hewitt backhand came up short- to clinch his second ever slam semifinal.

"In the middle of the second set, I start realizing that I'm, like, beating Hewitt. I'm one set up and two break points up against Hewitt, and I'm in the quarters, playing for the semis," an excited Baghdatis said of the second set. "So I start thinking a bit there, start choking a bit. The most important thing is that I got through."

He will await the winner between second seeded French Open champion Rafael Nadal and 22nd seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen. Their match was pushed back till today thanks to the rain and the long conclusion between Bjorkman and Stepanek.

Knowles and Nestor Outlast Aspelin and Perry In Six Hour Historic Doubles Match: Call it the tennis version of the marathon. In a match which took two days to complete, the No.3 seeded men's doubles team of Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor outlasted Simon Aspelin and Todd Perry in a Wimbledon record six hours nine minutes 5-7, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 23-21 to advance to a semifinal against The Bryans.

"It's very exciting," said Knowles. "We didn't think we'd make history in this fashion."

"Our plan was to get out of there as soon as possible," Nestor added about the match which shattered a 1989 match between Todd Witsken and Greg Holmes which took 5:28 to play.

In the process, they stemmed off five match points in a fifth set which lasted over three hours.

"It definitely wasn't humorous for me," Nestor said. "At times I was wondering if it was ever going to end."

As for setting the record, Knowles said: "I'm excited about it, especially since we won. It would have been different if we lost."

Women's Semifinalists Set To Take Center Stage: The top four seeded women will take Centre Court today to decide who will meet in Saturday's final.

Top seeded Australian Open winner Amelie Mauresmo will take on 2004 Wimbledon champion fourth seeded Maria Sharapova in one semifinal. The other matchup pits an all Belgian battle between French winner and third seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne against 2005 U.S. Open champ and No.2 seed Kim Clijsters.