Roger Federer moved into the Olympic semi-finals on Thursday as the Wimbledon champion cut giant American John Isner down to size with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory on Centre Court. Federer had to be at his most patient in the face of a barrage of big serves from the 6ft 9in Isner, but the world number one was finally able to produce just enough magic to move into the last four of the Olympics for the first time since the 2000 Games in Sydney.
The 30-year-old, bidding to win his first singles gold medal, will play Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro for a place in the final. Since winning the longest match in tennis history against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, Isner has embarked on a steady climb up the world rankings and he claimed a shock win over Federer in the Davis Cup earlier this year. Isner's massive serve kept Federer at bay for much of the match, but the 17-time Grand Slam champion eventually found a way through in the ninth game of the first set.