Roger Federer has maintained his push for a seventh Cincinnati Open title after beating Feliciano Lopez to reach the semi-finals this morning.
The Swiss set up a last-four clash with Andy Murray after defeating his Spanish counterpart 6-3 6-4 win in just over an hour.
Little could separate the pair for the opening five games, but Federer pulled out a break of serve in the sixth to move 4-2 ahead, before holding serve to extend that lead.
Lopez broke back instantly, but it only delayed the inevitable as the world number three cruised to a first-set advantage.
The pivotal moment in the second set came when Federer broke in the seventh game en route to a 5-3 lead, and the 17-time Grand Slam champion closed out the win from there.
The other semi-final will be contested between Novak Djokovic - a four-time losing finalist in Cincinnati - and Alexandr Dolgopolov
Shane Callaghan
