Federer books semi-final clash with Dolgopolov

INDIAN WELLS, Mar 14 (AFP): 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.

Despite the decline in his ranking after a modest 2013 campaign, Federer is enjoying a strong start to the season. He arrived in California off an impressive title run in Dubai, where he claimed his first ATP trophy in nine months.