BANGKOK, 1 October 2005 — Roger Federer’s near-perfect tennis dwarfed the giant-killing reputation of Luxemborg’s Gilles Muller last night as the Swiss ran roughshod into the semifinals of the $550,000 Thailand Open.

The 6-4, 6-3 victory in just 68 minutes over a young player who knocked Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon and sent Andy Roddick packing in the US Open first round moves Federer among elite company.

With his 29th straight match win from a season where he has only lost three times, the Swiss moves into a four-way tie with Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras for the 10th longest match winning streak in the post-1968 Open Era.

Federer was untroubled against Muller, ranked 66th, breaking to start the match and concluding in the same fashion.

“It was a dangerous match, we all knew that from the start,” said Federer. “I got off to a good start, that helped to calm things down.

“I tried to stay focused on every service game, I didn’t want to give him a chance. I don’t remember him having any break points on my serve.

“I was never under pressure. I served well throughout and played comfortably and solid.

“I tried to keep the pressure on him, if he made a mistake — that was it.” Federer, with a massive 75 wins this season as he chases an 11th title, will today face a re-match from January’s Australian Open against Finn Jarkko Nieminen, who came through over Wang Yeu-Tzuoo of Taiwan 6-4, 6-7 (3 7), 6-4.

Nieminen had to quit against Federer in the third round in Melborne with a strained stomach muscle. The Swiss has won all six of their matches.

British teenager Andy Murray continued an impressive run, securing his first ATP-level semi-final appearance with an upset of Robby Ginepri 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

The 18-year-old will today face off against popular Thai Paradorn Srichaphan, who advanced without hitting a ball as second-seeded opponent Lleyton Hewitt withdrew hours before the start with a groin strain.

Ginepri, the third-seeded American, found himself fighting frustration in the face of exceptional shot-making from the 18-year-old heir-apparent to veteran Brits Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.

A day after setting a new career standard with victory in his first senior-level quarter-final, the ice-calm Murray took his success a step further.

After losing the opening set with 15 unforced errors and recovering in the second, the momentum shifted in the third, with Ginepri’s frustration growing.

The seed saved a pair of break points in the fifth game before Murray closed the door for a 3-2 break thanks to a double-fault from the American.

Murray achieved his new career high four games later, with Ginepri saving one match point before bowing out.

Agassi Withdraws From

Stockholm Open

Andre Agassi withdrew from the Stockholm Open indoor tournament on Friday, citing his long-standing back injury as the reason.

“I am very disappointed about missing the Stockholm Open,” the 35-year-old American said in a statement on the tournament’s website. “I was looking forward to going even further this year.” Agassi, beaten in the US Open final by Roger Federer earlier this month, reached the Stockholm Open final last year where he lost a close three-set battle to Swede Thomas Johansson.

The Stockholm Open begins on Oct. 8.

Groenefeld Knocks Petrova

Out of Luxemborg Open

In Luxemborg, unseeded German Anna-Lena Groenefeld knocked Nadia Petrova out of the Luxemborg Open yesterday, beating the Russian second seed 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semifinals.

Groenefeld, who has risen to 23rd in the world from 75th at the beginning of the year, will face another Russian, Dinara Safina, in the last four after the seventh seed overcame a strong challenge from Italy’s Roberta Vinci to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

In a match dominated by big serves and fierce ground strokes, Groenefeld hit back after losing the first set and, once she had found her rhythm, dominated the last two sets.

Safina also came from a set down to win her quarter-final. The big serving Russian stormed into a 5-2 lead in the first set but then crumbled against Vinci’s positive net play and lost the next five games.

Safina responded in the next two sets, though, overcoming turgid resistance to win the match.

Jankovic, Vaidisova Reach

Korea Open Semis

In Seoul, top seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia came from behind to beat Russia’s Vera Douchevina 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in the Korean Open quarterfinals yesterday.

Jankovic, ranked 17 in the world, set up a semi-final clash with rising French star Tatiana Golovin who had an easy time against Japan’s Ai Sugiyama.

The 17-year-old third seed defeated Sugiyama 6-3, 6-2 to reach her fifth WTA semi-final of the year.

After a disappointing first set, unseeded Catalina Castano of Colombia bounced back to oust America’s Laura Granville 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. Castano, who had upset fourth seed Giselko Dulko of Argentina 6-3, 6-3 to make it into the final eight, will face 16-year-old second seed Nicole Vaidisova.

The Czech teen, who has been turning heads with her rise up the rankings, had a solid 6-4, 6-1 win over Marion Bartoli of France.