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Federer survives matchpoint scares
 Federer is closing on Borg's remarkable record on grass. HALLE, Germany -- Roger Federer had to survive four matchpoints before beating Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-7 7-6 7-6 to reach the Halle semifinals on Friday. The Swiss world number one is now just two matches away from equaling Bjorn Borg's all-time winning sequence on grass courts, but came perilously close to defeat. Rochus saw three matchpoints go in the second set tiebreak after wasting an earlier chance when leading 6-5. Rochus had won the first set tiebreak 7-2. After staving off the danger, Federer took the tiebreak 11-9 on his third set point to level the match after one hour and 51 minutes. Rochus refused to wilt under pressure and went 4-2 up in the third until Federer finally produced the goods to keep alive his hopes of a fourth successive title here by winning the tiebreak 7-5 on his sixth match point. He is now unbeaten on his favorite surface for almost four years, notching up 39 wins against the legendary Swede's 41 straight victories in the Open era. Federer's last defeat on grass came against Mario Ancic in the Wimbledon first round in 2002. Since that time, Federer had collected three Wimbledon titles as well winning the pre-Wimbledon warmup tournament in Germany three years in succession. Federer had struggled all week here beating Indian qualifier Rohan Bopanna 7-6 6-2 in the first round before battling over three sets to defeat France's Richard Gasquet 7-6 6-7 6-4. He came into the tournament off the back of a disappointing defeat to Spanish star Rafael Nadal in the French Open final last weekend. It ended his hopes of becoming the first man since 1969 to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time. Federer will meet local hope Tommy Haas in Saturday's semifinals, and fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic will play eighth-seeded Kristof Vliegen of Belgium. 
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