Federer downs Kiefer to reach Australian final

Tennis: World number one Roger Federer will play unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the Australian Open final after beating…

Tennis: World number one Roger Federer will play unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the Australian Open final after beating German Nicolas Kiefer 6-3 5-7 6-0 6-2 in the semi-final today.

The top seed had too much power and shot variety for Kiefer, who was playing in his first grand slam semi-final in 35 attempts.

The Swiss sealed the win on his fourth match point after two hours and 40 minutes to reach his seventh final in the past 11 grand slams.

Kiefer, the 21st seed, broke Federer in the final game of the second set but self-destructed in the third, handing the set to the Swiss in only 25 minutes with double faults on break points in the third and fifth games.

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Kiefer had used his strong service game to advantage in the first two sets and slammed 14 aces past Federer but had little else to offer as the top seed raced away in the third and fourth sets, pounding winners from all over the court.