Gaudio sets up Federer clash

Argentine Gaston Gaudio clawed his way back from the brink of defeat to beat Chile's Fernando Gonzalez yesterday, setting up a semi-final with Roger Federer at the season-ending Masters Cup.

Gaudio saved three match points in a pulsating 1-6 7-5 7-5 win and now has the daunting task of halting world number one Federer's charge for a third straight Masters title today.

Russia's Nikolay Davydenko plays Argentine David Nalbandian in the other semi-final at the $4.45 million Shanghai tournament.

Davydenko crushed Argentina's Mariano Puerta 6-3 6-2 to finish top of the Gold Group with a perfect 3-0 record in his first Masters Cup appearance.

"I don't know how I came back," said Gaudio. "I thought I was done. But it gives me a lot of confidence to play Roger."

Gaudio secured second place in their round-robin group behind Davydenko after digging himself out of a hole to maintain his mastery over Gonzalez.

Gaudio had won all three of his previous meetings with Gonzalez but was in real trouble at a set and 5-3 down and had to fend off three match points in the next game.

Gaudio quickly levelled the match and secured the crucial break in the deciding set on a Gonzalez double-fault to go 6-5 up. Gaudio's place in the last four was sealed when the Chilean sent a forehand well wide after two hours, nine minutes.

The first Chilean to play at the season-ending championship since Marcelo Rios in 1998, Gonzalez cut short his holiday to fly to China as the second alternate.

His chance came when Andre Agassi pulled out with an ankle injury and Gonzalez promptly beat Puerta, himself a replacement for Rafael Nadal, in midweek.

'I'm too sexy' - Federer

Roger Federer seems pretty comfortable with his new label as one of the sexiest men alive.

The world number one was named by People magazine as one of its "International Men of Sexiness" earlier this week and Federer is not about to argue.

"That's why I put clothes on tonight," joked Federer. "So we can speak normally together and you don't get all over-excited."

The Swiss teased Chinese reporters that his sex appeal even captivated his part-time coach Tony Roche.

"He likes to visit the sexiest guy alive once in a while," smiled Federer.

"He doesn't just come here to hang out with me."