Murray fights back to keep 100pc Shanghai record intact
Game's hottest rivalry renewed, while Djokovic dispatches Haas to set up clash with Berdych
Andy Murray remained on course for a hat-trick of titles at the Shanghai Masters despite the best efforts of tricky Czech Radek Stepanek yesterday and now sets his sights on Roger Federer.
Third seed Murray, still on a high from winning the US Open last month, was out-foxed in the first set by the unorthodox Stepanek before recovering to win their quarter-final clash 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Number one seed Federer, who is guaranteed to spend a 300th week on top of the ATP rankings, cruised past Croatia's Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-4 to conclude the day's action at the Qi Zhong Tennis Centre.
In the bottom half, Tomas Berdych proved too solid for Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, winning 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), while Novak Djokovic ended the run of Germany's Tommy Haas, winning 6-3, 6-3.
"It was quite a scrappy first couple of sets, but obviously the second set I managed to get a break, got a bit of momentum," said Murray, whose match against Federer will be eagerly anticipated after his thrashing of the Swiss at the London Olympics. "I dictated a majority of the points at the end of the match and I needed to because he was playing with a lot of variety, making it hard for me."
Federer, who beat Murray in the Wimbledon final to earn a 17th grand slam title, was largely untroubled against Cilic although he did waver when attempting to serve out the match.