Five-time U.S. Open champion Roger Federer beat 11th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday night in a quarterfinal interrupted by rain for about 1 1/2 hours in the first set.

Federer reached the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the eighth consecutive year.

In the Wimbledon quarterfinals in June, Tsonga came back from a two-set deficit to stun Federer. It was the only time in Federer's career that he lost a Grand Slam match after taking the first two sets.

Now, Federer faces top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals, the fifth straight year they will play in New York.

In their most recent head-to-head meeting, in this year's French Open semifinals, Federer ended Djokovic's 43-match winning streak.

I played great, Federer said in an on-court interview. For me it continues, and that is awesome. I'm very happy with the way I'm playing, the way I'm moving and I'm enjoying myself on the court.

Top seed Djokovic, the runner-up in 2007 and 2010, booked his place in a fifth successive semifinal when Serbian Davis Cup-winning team-mate Janko Tipsarevic retired with a left thigh injury.

Djokovic was 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (3-7) 6-0 3-0 ahead at the time.

The top seed had clinched a marathon 90-minute first set before Tipsarevic leveled the tie.

Djokovic claimed his 62nd win of 2011 when Grand Slam quarterfinal debutant Tipsarevic's brave bid was undone by a thigh injury in the third set.

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