Russia's [ Images ] Nikolay Davydenko [ Images ] overcame Argentine baseliner Guillermo Canas [ Images ] 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday to set up a semi-final showdown with world number one Roger Federer [ Images ] at  the French Open [ Images ].

World number four Davydenko, 26, showed more composure when it mattered to reach the last four at Roland Garros [ Images ] for the second time in three years.

The 29-year-old Canas, who returned to action last September after a 15-month doping ban, was bidding to make the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. He has now fallen in the quarter-finals atthe French Open thrice.

Davydenko looked in control throughout a tight contest until converting the first match-point with a superb forehand winner after just three hours of play.

Federer's 36-set record winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments was snapped by Robredo but that did not stop the Swiss from sweeping into the semi-finals with a 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory.

The world number one and Australian Open [ Images ] champion had not dropped a set at a major since losing the second in his four-set triumph over Andy Roddick [ Images ] in the US Open [ Images ] final last September.

Spanish ninth seed Robredo took the second set with a forehand crosscourt winner but it was not long before Federer was once again meting out punishment

The Swiss won the next five games in a row and after steaming towards victory, he sealed his passage to the last four with an exquisite backhand volley.