Tennis/ News round-up: Andy Roddick has played Roger Federer 16 times over the past six years and lost 15.

At least in all those previous tournaments he has had to play the Swiss only once. Now there looms the possibility of two defeats within three days. Federer demolished the American 6-4, 6-2 in the final round-robin match last night, with a real probability they might meet in tomorrow's final. And it could turn out to be a double murder most horrid.

In the semi-finals today Federer takes on Rafael Nadal, while Roddick is up against the Spaniard David Ferrer, that little wall of China and the only man in the tournament to remain undefeated this week. He has beaten the American twice in their four previous meetings and has been in outstanding form in Shanghai, although the indoor court should favour Roddick, assuming his confidence has not been completely shredded by the Swiss.

There were any number of stupendous shots in Federer's win, so much so that it was tempting to think that the Federer who had struggled in his previous two round-robin matches, losing the first against Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, was a Chinese fake.

Federer had begun the sixth day assuming a victory over Roddick would be essential for him to reach the last four, only for his place to be assured in the prior match when Nikolay Davydenko ended Gonzalez's hopes with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

"Let's not overrate this win over Andy," said the world number one, "because we both knew we were qualified and we could both play freely."

Meanwhile, Etienne de Villiers, the ATP chief executive, continues to wrestle with the complexities and cost of funding the investigation into possible match fixing.

"I'm going to look at the online betting companies to fund it because the problems are caused by them," he said yesterday in a declaration which seemed akin to the poachers having a whip around to pay the gamekeeper.

Britain's Lawn Tennis Association is calling on the help of the Serbian world number four, Ana Ivanovic, to set a much needed example to young British players. The LTA have done a deal for Ivanovic to train at the €55 million national centre in Roehampton next month.

Ivanovic, in return, has agreed to practise with lowly ranked players and to offer them an insight into the workload and commitment required to be world-class.

Ivanovic (20), grew up in post-civil war Belgrade and famously had to learn to play tennis in an empty swimming pool because there were no usable courts. No wonder she is impressed with Roehampton.

"I'm at a stage in my career where I really want to have the very best facilities in the world," she said.

• Guardian Service