(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-04-05 10:06

MIAMI: Andy Roddick upset world No 1 Roger Federer 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 at the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinal on Thursday.

It was only Roddick's second win in 17 career meetings against the Swiss, his last success coming in Montreal five years ago.

"He hasn't missed a ball against me for about six years," Roddick told reporters. "I figured the law of statistics had to work for me eventually."

Andy Roddick of the US reacts after defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in their quarter-final match at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida April 3, 2008. [Agencies]

"I think I did well to hang in there," Federer said. "Maybe this is one of the matches I should have won against him because he's had some other ones where I think he was supposed to win. This time around it went his way."

Despite not forcing a break point until the eighth game of the third set, it was enough for Roddick, who broke to love when Federer dumped a forehand into the net.

The big-hitting American wrapped up victory on his third match point with a sizzling service winner.

Roddick admitted: "I was saying to myself 'Please hit a big serve and let this be done. I have an opportunity for this to be done in two-and-a-half-seconds.'"

Having been dictated to for a set and a half, Federer found some form, breaking in the ninth game of the second set to level the match.

"The second set and the third he was starting to play pretty well," Roddick said. "I just tried to stay there, stayed in there mentally ... didn't want to get discouraged."

Twelve-times Grand Slam winner Federer has yet to reach a final this year.

Roddick will play world No 4 Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals after the Russian's emphatic 6-2 6-1 win over Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.

The other semifinal on Friday pits Spain's world No 2 Rafael Nadal against Czech Tomas Berdych.

On the women's side, defending champion Serena Williams beat world No 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the final.

Williams will play world No 3 Jelena Jankovic in Saturday's final after the Serbian overpowered Russia's Vera Zvonareva 6-1 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Former world No 1 Williams, who was struggling with back trouble in the hot and humid conditions, is bidding to equal Steffi Graf's record of five Miami titles.

The American had been practically flawless in her last-eight victory over world No 1 Justine Henin but made 43 unforced errors against Kuznetsova.

"I felt I made a lot of errors compared to the quarterfinal," Williams told reporters. "Svetlana played an entirely different game than I expected her to play, but once I got used to it I was okay."

Twice in the first set - after the fifth and seventh games - Williams was on the ground receiving treatment on her back from the trainer.

"It got better once the trainer came out," Williams said. "The first time she (came on the court), she did something that worked.

"It got stuck out of nowhere, but once she fixed it, it got better."

Kuznetsova, who had beaten Williams' sister in the last eight said: "I like playing both of them. I played better against Venus."

Three of the first four games of the match were decided by service breaks with Kuznetsova gaining the upper-hand at 3-1.

Serving at 0-40 in the fifth game, Kuznetsova hit a crafty drop shot on the line that turned the game around for her and she went on to take a 4-1 lead.

Williams patiently waited out the second set where she finally scored a service break in the 12th game at 15-40 when Kuznetsova crashed an easy overhead into the net.

Both players struggled to hold serve in the deciding set amid the blistering conditions.