By Sean Rudolph
Photo Credit: Michael O'Kane

(November 5, 2010) Racing to his right, Andy Roddick saw opportunity in the wide expanse of open court and spun a running forehand winner down the line. The fourth-seeded Roddick hit his spots on serve and on the run to roll into the Basel semifinals, with a 6-4, 6-4, win over David Nalbandian in one hour, 14 minutes.

Roddick reached his seventh semifinal of the season. He will face either top-seeded Swiss Roger Federer or Radek Stepanek for a spot in Sunday's Swiss Indoors final.

The Roddick-Nalbandian match was a rematch of the 2003 Basel semifinals, which Nalbandian won 7-5, 7-5. It was Roddick's first win over Nalbandian since a 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-1, 6-3 comeback victory in the 2003 US Open semifinals.

The 28-year-old Roddick continued his quest to secure a spot in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. Roddick is bidding to qualify for the season-ending event for the eighth straight year.

Washington DC champion Nalbandian slapped successive forehand errors to face break point at 30-40. The Argentine's normally-reliable backhand let him down as Roddick took advantage of three straight errors to break for 3-2.



Roddick used a fine backhand drop volley to hold for 5-3. Two games later, Roddick ripped a serve into the body to earn triple set point and banged an ace down the middle to collect the opening set after 36 minutes. Roddick hit seven aces and won 20 of 25 points played on his serve in the first set.