Roger's first big test

Federer had a score to settle with 1th seed Juan Martin Del Potro. Since the Argentine star dethroned Roger at the 2009 US Open, Roger has failed to win another official Grand Slam singles title, his longest drought since he first won at Wimbledon in 2003. Yes it is true he won the final here in 2010, but Novak and Roger are still fighting to have Grand Slam singles titles won with Andy Murray as losing finalist officially recognised. Of course I am only being serious :)

But seriously Roger has been short of the most important silverware of late, and polishing the increasingly old trophies just doesn't cut it anymore. So crushing Del Potro's hopes and setting up another semi final here in Melbourne will be uppermost in Roger's mind as he wanders nonchantly onto court today. On Juan Martin's mind is anybody's guess, but it probably has something to do with causing the most possible harm to whatever gets in the way of his powerful shot making, whether it be animal vegetable or mineral, or any combination of the aforementioned.

Roger began where he left the Tomic match hitting winners and doing it so far within himself that it was almost impossible to visualize - an absolute headache for line judges. However, line judges for Federer matches are given the same mantra year after year - when in doubt Roger must have won the point. For the first games, doubt never entered the equation for Del Potro suffered the opening blitz afforded Roger's previous four victims, not that I'm concluding that Juan Martin should this early be regarded as a victim, but he surely played victim to a selection of shots from the accurate marksman from Switzerland.

3-0 and one break would probably be enough to take the set, under normal circumstances that is. Juan Martin limited the barrage to a single break then managed to bring some fine tennis of his own to tne court. At 4-2, Federer suffered a small lapse that Del Potro magnified into a service break and with an easy hold brought a symmetry to the stadium 4-4.

Roger just teased - at 4-5 and 15-15 Del Potro received two successive returns off decent serves that were sublime. 15-40 pressured a double fault and the set went Roger's way 6-4.

Federer seemed the more likely to strike in the second set but Del Potro managed to cobble together enough shots into court to earn required points for games on serve. How long he would be able to withstand the Federer pressure, both real and implied, may have been the burning question had anyone dared to ask it.

1-2 30-40 and a timely big serve saved fhe Argentine ace from immediate peril. Ultimate peril could not be avoided, and Roger broke for 3-1. Next game Roger served himself from safety into some trouble then pulled out his big rifle to shoot three rounds at the centre of the target, moving from break point to 4-1 in the process.

Never to be denied, Del Potro fought hard, even having break points as Roger served for the set. However, he couldn't convert any of them, and Federer slipped through his grasp to move to a 6-4 6-3 lead.

A break of Del Potro on his first service game of set three set the scene for the remainder of the match - Federer only had to hold serve, and he did with comfort. Del Potro found the task harder, yet managed it too, until the seventh game where Roger turned the screw one more time to break again and lead 5-2.

The match belonged to Roger Federer 6-4 6-3 6-2 and he became the first semi finalist for the 2012 edition of the Aus Open - he will play the winner of Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych.