09/04/2008 - Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning four-time champion Roger Federer was a hard-fought quarterfinal winner Thursday at the U.S. Open. The Swiss superstar will now play in his record 18th straight major semifinal against Serbian Novak Djokovic, who bested fan-favorite Andy Roddick in a four-set thriller under the lights at Ashe Stadium.
The second-seeded former world No. 1 Federer held off qualifier Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) on Day 11 on the hardcourts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Federer took the first set via tiebreak against the 6-foot-5 big-serving Muller, as neither player was able to record a service break in the opening stanza.
In the second set, the Swiss would assume control of the bout by registering the first, and only, break of the match for a 5-4 lead and then closed out the stanza with a hold for a commanding two-sets-to-love advantage.
The third set went to another tiebreak, which Federer captured by winning five of the last six points. He converted on his first match point when a game Muller netted one final backhand.
Muller swatted 16 aces in the 2-hour, 26-minute affair.
Federer is now 3-0 lifetime against the 130th-ranked Muller, with their previous two meetings coming in 2005.
The upstart 25-year-old Muller upset fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko, 18th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro and former top-10 star Tommy Haas at this Big Apple fortnight. He overcame two-sets-to-love deficits against both the German Haas and Almagro.
Federer was this year's Wimbledon and French Open runner-up to Spanish stalwart Rafael Nadal, who supplanted the Swiss atop the men's rankings last month.
The 27-year-old Federer will see a familiar face in the semis on Saturday, as Djokovic looks to avenge last year's loss in the finals to the 12-time major titlist.
The Serbian star overcame a hostile crowd and a gutty performance from Roddick, topping the eighth-seeded American 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) in just over 2 1/2 hours.
Roddick, who was the last player to hoist the trophy (2003) before Federer's four-year reign, had no answer for the third-seeded Serbian's serve throughout the match.
After taking the first two sets with relative ease, Djokovic, who bested 15th- ranked Tommy Robredo in a five-set marathon in the quarterfinals, dropped the third set to Roddick.
The American looked to take control of the match, breaking Djokovic at 3-3 in the fourth and serving for the set at 5-4. But the Serb broke Roddick in the game and managed to force a tiebreaker.
At 5-5 in the tiebreak, Roddick tried to mix up a long baseline exchange with a drop shot, but his effort fell into the net and his return of Djokovic's serve on match point went long, much to the crowd's displeasure.
Djokovic topped Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year before taking Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for his first career Grand Slam title.
Saturday's other semi will pit the five-time major champion Nadal against sixth-seeded Brit Andy Murray, as those two men won their quarterfinal matches here on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Murray will appear in his first-ever Grand Slam semi.
<< Giants begin title defense with thumping of Redskins
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Plaxico Burress celebrated his fresh
two-year contract extension with 10 catches for 133 yards, and the
defending-champion New York Giants opened their title defense with a 16-7
victory
<< Petke winner gives Rapids first road win since April
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Petke scored his first goal of the season
as the Colorado Rapids topped FC Dallas, 1-0, for their first win in Dallas
since 2001 in Major League Soccer action on Thursday.
The win - which propels the
<< Branshaw grabs early lead in Utah
Sandy, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Branshaw fired an eight-under-par 63
Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Utah
Championship.
Branshaw's 63 at Willow Creek Country Club matched the course record
<< Kazmir, Rays down Yankees
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Kazmir pitched six strong innings
as the Tampa Bay Rays avoided the sweep with a 7-5 win over the New York
Yankees at Tropicana Field.
Kazmir (11-6) gave up just one hit with five walks a
Kansas City sweeps doubleheader, series against Oakland >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Guillen went 2-for-4 with three RBI
and a run scored as the Kansas City Royals swept the doubleheader and three-
game series against the Oakland Athletics with a 9-6 win.
Alberto Callaspo drove i
Commodores upend 24th-ranked Gamecocks in SEC opener >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jared Hawkins rushed for 84 yards and a
touchdown and Chris Nickson threw a touchdown and ran for another, as
Vanderbilt knocked off 24th-ranked South Carolina, 24-17, in the SEC opener
for bot
Kings ink F Stoll to four-year deal >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings agreed to terms on a
four-year contract with restricted free agent center Jarret Stoll on Thursday.
Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 26-year-old Stoll was
Winton's four TDs lift DSU to OT win >>
Dover, DE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The performance of Delaware State senior
quarterback Vashon Winton at times on Thursday night might have been enough to
frustrate the average signal-caller.
Winton misfired on more passes than he compl
MySportsbook.com is operated by Sportingbet, a UK gambling company which is publicly traded on the AIM on the London Stock Exchange.
Sportingbet easily forms the world's largest Internet gaming company, with a truly global outreach. This also provides added transparency and accountability to this online Sportsbook and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. MySportsbook offers betting lines on all major sporting events. Our staff of almost 400 people includes clerks ready 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to care for your needs.
MySportsbook's competent, experienced managerial staff and personnel are backed by a state-of-the art sports wagering software.
We offer a 15% sign-up bonus to new customers who use Neteller for deposit and 10% bonus for all other deposit methods. Casino clients can take advantage of a 5% cash back monthly. Clients are also eligible for a 5% re-up bonus on subsequent deposits and 10% cash back on NFL losses.* Our instant-play flash casino is no-download, just click and go to a wide range of games including online Blackjack, 3-Card Poker, Craps, Baccarat, Roulette and Pai-Gow Poker, as well as a variety of slots and video poker games for the complete online casino Las Vegas experience.
My Sports book accepts all credit cards, online checks, Neteller, Firepay and bank wires. MySportsbook guarantees prompt, hassle-free payouts, as well as unparalleled individual attention from its acclaimed customer service department.
To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting