Straight and simple, 6-0 for Federer

Dressed in fierce black to counter Federer’s fancy black attire in last night’s spell-binding quarter final on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Roddick drove aggressively through his groundstrokes, like an 18-wheeler bent on delivery. He blasted his faithful serve, returned with precision and barreled, unafraid, to the net.

And why not? Roddick had lost 13 of 14 career matches to Federer, the No 1 ranked player in the world for the last 187 consecutive weeks.

Roddick is still stuck on one Slam, the 2003 US Open, and has lost all six times he’s faced Federer at majors. That includes last year’s US Open final. So does Roddick think he can beat Federer? “Yeah,” he said. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be out here.”

If Roddick were going to leave the United States Open early — instead of in the finals as he did last year to Federer — he was going to make this man figure him out.

As usual, Federer did.

Chipping back Roddick’s 140 mph serve on instinct for a backhand winner and striking one of his 15 aces in the first two tie-breakers, Federer upended Roddick, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) 6-2, to charge into the semi-finals against Nikolay Davydenko.

The first two sets, played in an electric night atmosphere buoyed by celebrities, featured no service breaks. Federer finally found his opening in the sixth game of the third set and the match came to an abrupt conclusion.

Although fiercely disappointed, Roddick was defiant in defeat. “I’m not walking with any questions in my head this time,” he said. “I played the right way.”

Roddick had topped the charts at the Open this year for the fastest serve with 145 mph, two miles faster than the young American, 6-foot-9 John Isner. But unlike with Isner, whose high bounce and kick caught Federer off guard for a first-set loss, he was ready for Roddick.

In the second set tiebreaker at 4-4, Roddick served 140 mph. to Federer’s backhand. Federer chipped it back to Roddick’s feet, on the baseline, and Roddick was stuck. No chance. And no surprise.

No matter how many chances Roddick took, they seemed in vain last night. When he charged the net (winning 50 per cent of the time), Federer would send the ball whizzing by his ear a millisecond later with his passing shots off his one-handed backhand.

And although Roddick staved off one set point in the first set tiebreaker, on the second attempt, Federer wasted no time. He coolly blasted an ace right down the middle at 122 miles an hour. Roddick shook his head for the first time, but not the last.

The only time Roddick has defeated Federer was in 2003 in the final of Montreal, the same year Roddick won the US Open. Since then, Federer has had a stranglehold on this event.

Roddick, seeded fifth in the draw, has not been able to solve him. He lost to Federer at the semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open, suffered a shocking first-round upset at the French Open, and a five-set quarter final loss to Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon.

But this Grand Slam event has always been his favourite. “You can just feed off the energy,” he said. “It’s a show. You’re just pushing each other.” As much as Roddick pushed back on this night, it was Federer who had the right touch.

Wimbledon champion Venus Williams outlasted Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) to reach the semi-finals, where she will defend family honour against Justine Henin.

QUOTEUNQUOTE

I thought it was a very high standard match. I was very pleased with my performance. I thought actually Andy also played very well. I’m at my best always at the Slams

Roger Federer

I’m not walking off with any questions in my head this time. I’m not walking with my head down. I played my a** off out there tonight. I played the right way

ANDY RODDICK