Fri May 16 13:28:58 2008

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Federer, Djokovic ease into Hamburg semis

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Hamburg, Germany (Sports Network) - Reigning champion Roger Federer and Australian Open titlist Novak Djokovic were easy quarterfinal winners Friday at the $2.955 million Masters Series Hamburg, a clay-court French Open tuneup.

The top-seeded Federer blew past Spanish lefthander Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3, while the third-seeded Djokovic stayed hot by dousing Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-3 on Day 6 at Rothenbaum. The high-flying Djokovic was last week's clay-court champion in Rome.

Federer is now a stellar 28-3 lifetime at this event.

The reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Federer beat clay-court king Rafael Nadal in last year's Hamburg finale to capture his fourth title here in six years (2002, 2004-05, 2007). Nadal bested Federer in a clay-court finale in Monte Carlo last month.

The three-time French Open champion Nadal has to beat Carlos Moya on Friday and then Djokovic on Saturday in order to retain his world No. 2 ranking.