Federer eases past Anderson for Dolgopolov

Roger Federer kept his bid for a fifth Indian Wells ATP Masters title on track Thursday with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Kevin Anderson.

The 32-year-old Swiss great needed just 69 minutes to book his berth in the final four, where he’ll face Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Federer saved the only break point he faced in the match early in the opening set and clearly had the answer to the tall South African’s booming serve.

Federer broke Anderson at love in the final game of the first set, then broke him twice more before finishing the match with a love service game.

“You know, I gave myself chances and started with a few more returns in play at five-all,” Federer said. “I was just also now in the match at that point, feeling good movement-wise, feeling good absorbing his pace. Then also being aggressive myself.

“It was a really good match for me,” Federer said.

It was a textbook performance from the former world number one, whose ranking has slipped to eighth in the world but is projected to rise to five next week by reaching the final four.

Federer last played Dolgopolov in the Swiss Indoors in Basel in 2010, when the Ukrainian retired while trailing.

But Federer said he had practised with Dolgopolov late last year and before the Dubai tournament, and is looking forward to facing him again.

“He was playing really well in practice,” Federer said. “He really takes the ball early. He likes to take advantage of the fact when there is a short ball he just smashes it, and he’s got a great serve.

“Definitely going to be some interesting shots out there.”

Dolgopolov also used a stellar return game to neutralize the power of Milos Raonic in a 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final win over the big-serving Canadian.

Raonic, playing his first tournament since injuring his ankle in reaching the third round of the Australian Open, was plainly astonished to find serves of 145 mph (233 kph) and 141 mph being sent back over the net to him.

“He was a factor of why I didn’t serve as well as I would have liked,” Raonic said. “He made me think more than most people can on my service games.”

After Dolgopolov had raced through the opening set, Raonic seemed to have found his range, taking a quick 3-0 lead in the second.

However, Dolgopolov at last converted on his seventh break chance of the set in the fifth game, and broke Raonic again for a 4-3 lead that he wouldn’t relinquish.

The quarter-finals conclude on Friday, when world number two Novak Djokovic takes on France’s Julien Benneteau and American John Isner faces Latvian Ernests Gulbis.