Shanghai Masters: Roger Federer through to semis with easy win over Richard Gasquet

Approaching a step closer towards his second Shanghai Rolex Masters title, 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer cemented his place in the semi finals of the tournament with a straight sets win over Richard Gasquet of France on Friday.

The Swiss tennis maestro dismantled Gasquet 7-5, 6-4 in a one-sided match that lasted more than an hour. The second-seeded will now play No. 16 seeded Argentinean Juan Martin del Potro, who eliminated the Swiss in the quarter-finals of the US Open.

Federer now also stands just one round away from a potential Shanghai final showdown against his long-time rival and world number one Rafael Nadal, who defeated Grigor Dimitrov earlier on Friday.