Roger Federer has praised his quarter-final opponent, Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina and tipped him for greater things.
Roger Federer who won his 1000th match on Tuesday by beating Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals, praised his Argentinean opponent by saying, "I definitely see him in the Top 8 [in the South African Airways ATP Rankings] at the end of the year. He'll get many more chances this year. It's a long year and it's only the beginning. I'm happy I'm playing well, but I also see that he's actually in good shape, too."
Federer will now meet Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam championship for the first time since 2005 Roland Garros. "It's been a long time," said the Swiss. "It's true, we have been on opposite sides of the draw many times. I didn't even play Murray last year, because we were ranked 3 and 4. I guess it's a nice change-up."
When asked whether the semi-final line-up would feature the Top 4, Federer said, "I think there's a good chance, yeah. I think all the top guys are playing really well at the moment. We know it's going to be a tough end to the tournament if you get there."
