Roger Federer owns all the shots, but the Swiss stylist hits one shot like no one else in the game.

Miami Open champion John Isner, who will face either Federer or Denis Shapovalov in Sunday's final, says Federer's backhand chip return is so smooth he can "hit it in his sleep."

More: Defiant Isner Into Second Straight Miami Final

The 20-time Grand Slam champion used the chip backhand return to break Kevin Anderson's serve five times in a 6-4, 6-0, quarterfinal conquest on Thursday night.

"I think we saw last night in his match that chip return gave Kevin some trouble," Isner told the media after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime today. "Kevin's a big guy, and Roger, with that chip return, it's something that he can do in his sleep. He just gets it down low and gets it short.

"He almost forces his opponent to come in. At that point, you have to hit a great approach shot and a good volley to win the point, because he's going to have a look at a pass if you make the shot, and it's very difficult to do."

Three-time Miami champion Federer has won five of seven meetings vs. Isner though the former all American at Georgia won their most recent encounter, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (5), at the 2015 Paris Indoors.

If they square off again in Sunday's final, Isner may opt to hit the body serve, serve-and-volley on occasion or even serve to the Swiss' forehand to try to counter the chip return. 

"If I do play him, maybe there are some things tactically, especially on second serves, that I'll try to avoid maybe," Isner said. "Not go into his backhand as much. But he can do that, as I said, in his sleep. It's an incredibly high talent shot that not many players can do, but he can do it all the time."