The American sixth seed set up a marquee semi-final on Thursday with the Swiss defending champion after a straight-sets rout of close friend Mardy Fish to realise the semi-final seedings path.

Roddick's last success over the nine-time Grand Slam champion was nine matches ago in 2003 in Montreal, but he has been on the losing end in the last eight encounters.

Yet he believes he is making ground under the coaching of tennis great Jimmy Connors and came within a point of beating Federer in a second set tiebreaker at the Masters Cup in Shanghai last November.

Roddick also beat Federer in a exhibition event at Kooyong here just days before the Australian Open, but that does not count on the official match records.

"I've said for the past probably five or six months, the gap has either been closing a little bit or just he hasn't been extending it, which he's probably done the last three years or so. That's a good thing," Roddick said.

"With the match in Shanghai, I'm going to go in with a shot. I like going up and competing against him, I really do. I'm looking forward to the opportunity."

Roddick believes he has improved aspects of his game under Connors and was ready to test himself against the greatest player in the game.

"I look forward to it. I feel like I'm in good form. I'd love to see where I match up," he said.

He added that he could not sit back and allow Federer to dictate the points in their semi-final.

"I've been a little bit more successful over the last couple times I played him," he said.

"I don't feel like you can sit back and let him create. I think that's when you get in trouble.

"I'm going to have to go with what I do well and try to attack him, at least make him come up with shots from uncomfortable positions.

"If he's comfortable and set while hitting the ball, that makes it tough."

Federer has deprived Roddick of some major silverware in recent years.

The Swiss maestro downed him in the 2004 and 2005 finals at Wimbledon and last year's US Open decider.