15 Nov 2008

Federer fails to make Masters Cup semi finals

6:55 am on 15 November 2008

The former world number one tennis player, Roger Federer, has failed to reach the semi-finals of the Masters Cup for the first time.

Federer has lost his final group match in three sets to Briton Andy Murray.

The 27-year-old Swiss, who was chasing a record-equalling fifth title, needed to win his final round-robin match to progress to the knockout stage but succumbed to the Scot's eighth match point after an enthralling three-hour contest.

Murray, the only unbeaten player in the event, had already qualified for the last four and will meet Russian Nikolay Davydenko for a place in the final.

France's Gilles Simon will play Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the other semi final.