Roger Federer showed just why he has won 17 Grand Slam singles titles, yet again, putting on an absolute tennis clinic to leave Richard Gasquet befuddled and without answer in the quarterfinals of the US Open 2015.
Federer has been in outstanding form at this US Open, playing some ridiculously-good tennis, and the Swiss master pulled out some of that majestic play out of his locker again in a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory.
In a match that lasted a mere 87 minutes, Federer had time to fire in well over a winner every two minutes – he had 50 in all – with 16 of those being aces, and Gasquet, coming into this quarterfinal in peak form, did not even have one chance of breaking the great man's serve, such was the domination.
When Federer's serve is in full flow, like it was in this quarterfinal, and has been at this US Open, he is as close to unbeatable as you can get, and Stanislas Wawrinka will have to hope for a more mellowed down version of the Swiss if he is to even make the semifinal a contest.
Of course, Wawrinka is a player of a higher level than Gasquet, having won the French Open this year as well, but the manner in which Federer dismantled the Frenchman, you feel, even his compatriot will have no chance come semifinal day on Friday.
Wawrinka, though, was pretty impressive as well in his quarterfinal match against Kevin Anderson, vanquishing Andy Murray's conqueror in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-0.
If those backhands star working like a dream, like it did at the French Open not too long ago, and he is able to put some sort of pressure on the Federer serve, then we might just have a semifinal to remember.
"Looking forward to playing him, because he definitely is a big test and a big challenge for me," Federer said of playing his good friend and countryman. "He beat me in straight at the French, so I hope I can do better this time."
