SPORTS

Federer downs Bautista Agut to reach Rogers Cup semifinals

Bill Beacon The Canadian Press
Published Friday, August 11, 2017 4:37PM EDT Last Updated Friday, August 11, 2017 5:53PM EDT

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns to David Ferrer of Spain during round of sixteen play at the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, Thursday, August 10, 2017 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Paul Chiasson)

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MONTREAL - Second-seeded Roger Federer continued his mastery over 12th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in a quarter-final at the Rogers Cup on Friday.

In Saturday's semifinals, the 36-year-old Swiss will face unseeded Dutchman Robin Haase, a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 winner over Diego Schwartzman of Argentina.

Federer has won all seven career matches and taken all 16 sets against the 29-year-old Bautista Agut.

He is 1-0 against Haase -- a straight-sets win in Davis Cup play in 2012.

Federer said he knows Haase well from serving with him on the ATP player council and from practising together.

"I'm looking forward to a tough match because he can serve very well and he mixes up his tactics a lot," said Federer. "Sometimes he tends to just roll the ball in and use the big serve, or he uses a slice a lot and comes in.

"So I don't quite know with Robin what I'm going to get. But, as I have practised with him quite a bit, maybe I am better prepared than if I would have never hit with him before."

Federer broke serve for a 5-4 lead in the first set and broke again for 2-1 in the second en route to a one hour eight minute win over Bautista Agut. Federer was coming off a three-set win over another Spaniard, David Ferrer, against whom he is 17-0.

"My game plan worked better against Bautista Agut than against Ferrer," he said. "I believe it's because I was more aggressive coming to the net."

Haase, who upset seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the third round, reached his first career Masters Series semifinal. The 30-year-old Haase, back to 52nd in the world after battling injuries for much of his career, improved to 5-0 against 36th-ranked Schwartzman.

"I played a lot of good matches, especially against Dimitrov," said Haase. "It's tough to come back and play that same level.

"I didn't, but I managed to win because I kept fighting."

Other quarter-finals later Friday have Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., against Adrian Mannarino of France and fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany against South African Kevin Anderson.