American Andy Roddick, the sixth seed, toppled world number one Roger Federer in three sets yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Masters Series.

Roddick downed the top-seeded Swiss 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3, leaving Federer still in search of his first title of 2008.

Roddick recorded 17 aces to post the victory in 1hr 55min, claiming just his second victory over Federer in 17 tries.

?I?m just glad I have a little hair left,? Roddick quipped about how long it had been since he had beaten Federer.

He earned his only break of Federer?s serve in the eighth game of the third set, allowing him to serve out the match in the next game.

Roddick quickly raced to a 40-0 lead, but needed all three of those match points to finally put Federer away. The American admitted he was relieved.

?Coming from 40-love to 40-30, it felt like I was still a long ways away, so I probably was relieved.”

At 40-30, Roddick said, he was thinking ?Pease hit a big serve. Hit a big serve and let it be done.

?I was telling myself when I step up to the line, ?You have an opportunity for this to be over in about two and a half seconds. Let?s try our best to make one.

?I didn?t play bad points on the two that I lost, but I didn?t put big serves in like I had been doing all night. I didn?t want to give him a look at a second serve, because he?s able create off that.”

Federer, whose only break of Roddick in the match came in the ninth game of the second set, admitted it was deflating to drop his serve to love in what proved the penultimate game of the match, after serving so well throughout the tournament.

?It?s a tough way to finish the match, no doubt,? Federer said. ?I?ve been on a good run on my serve this week. To end it this way it?s sort of disappointing, but what are you going to do?”

Federer, ranked number one since February of 2004, has yet to reach a championship match in three tournaments this season.

His defeat here, in the second elite Masters Series event of the season, follows a shocking loss to to then-98th-ranked Mardy Fish in the semi-finals at the Indian Wells Masters Series two weeks ago.

?I am sort of disappointed not to see my name, playing in the finals,? he admitted. ?It?s just disappointing seeing other guys battling it out where I think I have the game to obviously play there, be there as well.”

Federer, who has pointed to the debilitating effects of a bout with mononucleosis as one reason for his slow start, hasn?t gone this far into a season without a title since 2000.

The Swiss, who next heads to Estoril, said he felt fine physically.

?I?ve been working hard trying to get back in shape,? he said. ?I feel like I?m fine. It?s just a matter of getting the amount of matches in.

?I guess the coordination and some little things are still missing because of lack of matches.”

Roddick, the 2004 champion, did not play a seeded player en route to his fifth quarter-final in nine career appearances here.

The 25-year-old American has enjoyed a solid season thus far, with an 18-3 mark and titles in San Jose and Dubai.

Roddick will face Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the semi-finals.
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