Madrid - Satisfied Roger Federer found little fault in his game despite taking three sets to defeat Andy Roddick 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 to book the first semi-final place at the Madrid Masters Friday.

The second seed will have the benefit of at least six extra hours of rest while potential opponents Andy Murray and Juan Del Potro start a night battle after top seed Rafael Nadal meets fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco at the Magic Box.

Third seed Novak Djokovic was facing wild card Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia.

"It's a bit strange, frankly, to be playing Andy on clay," said second-seeded 13-time Grand Slam winner Federer. "It was a close match with good atmosphere, good weather.

"Andy was mixing her serve well and I came up with some nice points. Those make me happy. I'm pleased with how I played today.

"I should have won in straights but that what happens sometimes when you play Andy. I bounced back in the third and played well."

Roddick has lost to Federer in 18 of 20 meetings stretching to 2001 in the Swiss player's Basel hometown.

The American won his last match in the series in March, 2008, in Miami and has already lost three times in 2009 to Federer.

The American had a walkover in the third round and plenty of extra rest as he begins his clay season after Nikolay Davydenko withdrew with a leg injury.

Federer needed just over two hours to put away Roddick and actually out-aced the American known for his serve 12 to nine.

The Swiss missed a chance to take it away in two sets, losing a tiebreak lead and ending up in a third.

But he broke to start the final set and piled on the pressure to put Roddick away in the end with 43 winners and four breaks of serve.

Federer said fitness will not be an issue in the semi-final even if Murray and Del Potro stay up late. "It's only best of three sets and neither of them played last week and they also got byes in the first round.

"It's not that hot - I didn't even have to change my shirt today even if the sun was out. Down there it was perfect condition. It will come down to who plays best."

In the women's event former number one Amelie Mauresmo continued her comeback resurgence of 2009 as she fought into the last four 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Hungarian Agnes Szavay.

The veteran from France will next face Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki, the ninth seed who beat Russian Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-4 and will climb into the WTA Top ten for the first time prior to the start of the French Open. (dpa)