“Feeling as good as I am, playing as good as I am, that's a huge surprise to me,” said Federer.
“I'm pleased with the way I started the match,” said Federer. “Right away, again, I got off to a great start against him, as I did against him a few years ago. After that, naturally everything's easier. The second set was definitely a key to shut it down for him. It was good that I was able to break back after he played a good game there. Then in the third set, I think, I was rolling. It was a nice match. I think I played great. Mischa had a wonderful tournament, so well done to him.”
The 35-year-old Federer leads Wawrinka, the fourth seed, 18-3 in their ATP Head to Head series. Pete Sampras, who won the final match of his career in the 2002 US Open final, was the last No. 17 seed to capture a major title.
“If someone would have told me I'd play in the semis against Stan, never would I have called that," said Federer, who returned from a six-month injury lay-off at the start of 2017. “For Stan, yes, but not for me. I honestly didn't even know a few days ago that he was in my section of the draw or I'm in his section. I figured it out eventually that he was playing on my days, but I never really looked in that quarter of the draw because that was just too unrealistic for me.
“To play against Stan I have to play aggressive, the more time I give him the better he is. I'm happy he's got this far but he doesn't need to go a step further - Stan knows I'm joking.”
Federer took advantage of early nerves for 29-year-old Zverev by winning the first five games - and losing seven points. The first set lasted 20 minutes.
World No. 50 Zverev regrouped and covered the net to keep Federer on the back foot, but, ultimately, was left to rue a missed volley that could have edged him closer to a 4-1 lead. The doubts started to set in and Federer sensed his opportunity, fighting back to break to love for a 6-5 lead.
Zverev kept battling, but his resistance faltered in the fifth game and a 26-point seventh game of the third set. Federer hit 65 winners overall, committing just 13 unforced errors in the one-hour and 32-minute encounter.
“I think he did not really let me play,” said Zverev. “It's more like his shots were a little bit different than Andy Murray. It was definitely hard to read where he was going, where he's returning. He just has so many more options. How he can, like, outplay me or pass me. It was different, definitely different.”
Federer is the oldest men's singles semi-finalist at the tournament since Arthur Ashe in 1978, and the oldest at any Grand Slam since Jimmy Connors reached the 1991 US Open last four aged 39. He is now 85-13 at the Australian Open - the most match wins he has amassed at any of the four majors.
Wawrinka beat French No. 12 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets earlier in the day.
“Against Roger, it's always special because he's so good. He's the best player of all time,” said the three-time Grand Slam winner.
“He has an answer for everything. But I managed to beat him in a Grand Slam, so we'll see.
“It's great to see him back at that level. Hopefully I can manage to play a great match.”
Date: 24 January 2017, Source: ATP and BBC
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