Nadal routs Roddick to reach US Open semi-finals

Defending champion Rafa Nadal routed former winner Andy Roddick 6-2 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open.

Nadal, the only men's player yet to lose a set in the tournament, set the tone early by breaking the American in his first two service games to race to a 4-0 lead and going on to break Roddick six times in all in the one-hour 53-minute romp.

With the win, the second-seeded Spaniard advances to a last-four clash with fourth-seeded Andy Murray of Britain, a 7-5 6-4 3-6 7-6 winner against American John Isner.

The other semi-final will pit top-seeded world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia against 16-time grand slam winner Roger Federer, who owns five U.S. Open titles.