The world top four players advanced into the semifinals at the Cincinnati Masters as Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic won their respective matches Friday.
World number one Federer will face off against Briton Murray while Nadal squares off against Serbian Djokovic.
It is the first time since the Monte Carlo Open in 2008 and only the 13th time in the past 25 years that the top four-ranked players have made it to the semifinals of a Tour event.
Top seed Federer cruised past former world number one Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-4 while defending champion Murray toiled to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal sent packing big-hitting Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-5 and Djokovic downed Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-5.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2009)
