STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 15: Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates a point during his match against Guido Pella of Argentina during day 5 of the Mercedes Cup at Tennisclub Weissenhof on June 15, 2018 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Roger Federer won in straight sets against Argentine Guido Pella, posting a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4 to set up a third clash against Nick Kyrgios, who won his quarterfinal match against Feliciano Lopez in 3 sets.

Taking a little over an hour, Federer almost got broken back in the second set as he was serving for the match, but quickly dispatched two great serves and then some to clinch the victory. This will be his second semi-final showing, having reached the semis in 2016 (l to Thiem). His record in Stuttgart is now 4-2, and he will be looking to reach his first final here.

An improvement in form

Federer looked rusty in his first match since Miami. Losing the first set (for the first time!) against Mischa Zverev, Federer regained his footing and won the next two sets. His footwork was uninspiring and his serve was extremely inconsistent and subpar, so much so that he didn’t hit a single ace in the first set. Even his backhand was hit or miss, albeit with a few jaw-droppers.

Things looked a lot better in his match against Pella. While his serve was still an issue, his movement and footwork were a lot better and his backhand looked great and reliable.

Will it be enough against Kyrgios

When asked about a potential matchup against Nick, Federer remarked, “Nick, of course, is a great talent. We know what he can do on the grass or on any surface.”

Kyrgios is a player who always raises his level against big opponents. He’s won 2 of 5 matches against Nadal, he’s undefeated against Djokovic in 2 matches and he’s even beat Federer once. Both players meet at their favourite surface (for the first time) with all sets played having gone to the tiebreak. A cracker of a match awaits, but can Federer raise his level for tomorrow’s match? I say yes, but expect a very difficult match.

If Federer wins, he clinches the #1 spot from Nadal. He last held #1 in May, when Nadal lost in the Madrid Quarterfinals.