Good evening everyone, and welcome to LIVE text commentary from Eurosport Yahoo! of the quarter-final in Basel between Roger Federer and Radek Stepanek.

It didn't take long, and Stepanek didn't too a great deal wrong, but Federer was far too good. The Swiss brushes aside his Czech opponent and now faces Roddick in the semi-finals!

MATCH! Surely not nerves? A couple of errors from Federer leave him 15-30 down. He redresses that with a service winner, then launches a crosscourt backhand to delight the crowd and bring up match point. One ace later, and it's all over!

BREAK! That looks to settle that! Stepanek looks to be heading to another hold but Federer reels him in and wears him down. A forehand error at the net from the Czech hands the game to his opponent, who is bearing down on the semis at some speed.

Brutal, brutal stuff from Federer. He holds to love, and finishes with a bullet of a forehand. In no time at all he's just two games away from a place in the semi-finals.

BREAK! Phenomenal forehand down the line to open from Federer - is this the start of a break? It looks that way when Stepanek pushes a makeable volley long. Stepanek pulls a point back but two break points duly arrive - and though Federer misses by a whisker on the first, he doesn't the second time.

An enjoyable tussle on the final point goes Federer's way when Stepanek sends his lob from the net just a fraction long. Hold to love for the Swiss, and neither player looking close to a break yet in the second set.

Stepanek staying calm, and looking stronger on his serve. Federer struggles to nail his returns and the game goes the way of the Czech.

Federer takes the first point with a scintillating forehand, then reaches game point with an incredible backhand overhead smash. Stepanek nets for a superb Federer hold.

Stepanek takes his time to rise from his chair, but when he does he looks in the right frame of mind. A good hold to fifteen from the Czech.

SET! Service winner to start, but Stepanek pulls it back to fifteen-all. Federer responds with an ace and keeps nudging ahead to force a set point - the serve is vicious, Stepanek cannot control it, and that's the first set to the Swiss!

Stepanek holds this one to fifteen, but he's having to work harder for every point now, hitting an extra shot or two to get over the line. Federer will now serve for the first set.

Brutal. Hold to love, less than ninety seconds of game time. Once behind Federer at home it's a long way back for his opponents.

BREAK! First-class backhand from Federer down the line levels the scores at 15-15. He's starting to apply the pressure and suddenly the Swiss has two break points. Two strong serves from Stepanek keep him at bay. The Czech has to be inch-perfect and when he misses narrowly there's another break opportunity from Federer - and with a powerful return and decisive forehand he takes it!

Federer's best service game of the match so far - Stepanek struggles to return the ball as the Swiss holds to 15.

A flash of briliance moves Federer from defence to attack, but he can't follow it up on the next point and Stepanek edges ahead to 30-15. With a strong serve down the middle the 31-year-old Czech levels things and that's another good hold.

Stepanek hits a ripping crosscourt forehand to beat Federer at full stretch and build a 15-30 advantage. Federer hits back, however, and gets his nose in front once more.

Stepanek begins with an assured hold, not dropping a single point and sealing the game as Federer floats a backhand return long.

Not an especially pretty opening from Federer, who clambers to 30-15, but Stepanek hits the first gem of this match - a winning pass down the line on the backhand. It's the last success for the Czech this time around, as the number one seed closes out the game.

Federer wins the toss and will serve. The players are now ready to begin their warm-ups.

The players are striding out on to the court, Federer looking as laconic as ever.