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 The 34-year-old Swiss maestro was on auto-pilot when he led 4-1 in
the second set, having snatched an absorbing opener, but needed
every shot in his formidable armoury to eventually claw out a 7-5
4-6 6-4 victory.
Japan's Nishikori had looked the more likely winner after reeling
off five consecutive games to take the six-times former champion
into a deciding set, but his stirring efforts proved in vain as
Federer squeezed home.
Federer topped Stan Smith Group with a 100 percent record -- the
ninth time in 14 consecutive appearances at the elite event he has
won all three of his round-robin matches.
World number one Novak Djokovic, beaten emphatically by Federer on
Tuesday, joined the Swiss in the semi-finals when he beat Tomas
Berdych 6-3 7-5 in the evening match at the O2 Arena.
The Serb, bidding for a fourth straight title at the season-ender,
could have qualified with a three-set defeat, but took no chances in
a businesslike display to finish runner up in the group and set up a
clash with a resurgent Rafael Nadal.
Federer will play either Andy Murray or Stanislas Wawrinka who
complete the round-robin matches in the Ilie Nastase group on
Friday.
Nishikori bowed out, having only managed to beat Berdych, but he got
a ringing endorsement from the 34-year-old Federer.
"It's amazing what he's able to produce on the court. Today was
another showcase of that, how he's able to return second serves,
staying on top of the baseline...drilling forehands and backhands up
the line. It was impressive," Federer said of the 2014 U.S. Open
champion.
Seventeen-times grand slam champion Federer had already sealed a
semi-final spot before walking on court on Thursday, but there was
never a chance of him letting up.
He jumped into a 3-1 lead before 26-year-old Nishikori began
striking the ball with real venom, breaking twice in a row.
Federer squared the set at 4-4 with some rock-solid baseline play
wearing down Nishikori.
Nishikori had a point to set up a tiebreak at 5-6 but after a superb
cat-and-mouse rally, Federer threaded a backhand down the line.
Federer pounced on set point, forcing an error.
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Federer was in full flow in the second set, leading 4-1, but
Nishikori refused to slink away quietly and took the next five games
with some delightful shot-making.
His crucial break at 4-4 came courtesy of an ugly forehand swipe
from Federer who hit the ball several metres out with the court at
his mercy.
Federer looked tired and tetchy early in the third, even offering an
expletive, but crucially hung in from 0-40 down to hold serve,
before breaking to move 4-1 ahead.
Again Nishikori stormed back to 4-4, but this time Federer steadied
down, found four first serves in the nick of time, then broke for
the match with a winning smash.
With a maximum of two matches left in a season which has already
brought six titles, Federer said he is in the mood to go out on a
high.
"I've got the perfect schedule. I'm off before the semis, which is
huge. Now you're looking at potentially a maximum of two more
matches and the season's over then," he said.
"It's going to be tough in the sense to win. But for the body, I'm
in an ideal situation looking at the semi-final."
In doubles action defending champions and top seeds Bob and Mike
Bryan saved five match points against Jamie Murray and John Peers --
6-7(5) 7-6(5) 16-14 to scrape into the semi-finals.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Alan Baldwin)
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