Roger Federer took another step closer to immortality when he dispatched Juan Carlos Ferrero to take his place in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

And although Federer dropped his first set of the championships it was still a commanding 7-6 3-6 6-1 6-3 victory which keeps him on course to equal Bjorn Borg's five successive Wimbledon singles titles.

The match, which had been halted by rain on Thursday, had resumed at 5-5 and deuce on Federer's serve.

The number one seed did have one set point on Ferrero's first service game but could not convert.

But when the set went to the breaker Federer exerted his authority to run out a 7-2 winner, clinching it with a heavy ace.

Ferrero, a former French Open winner, was trading heavy groundstrokes with the four-times champion in the trickiest of windy conditions on Centre Court.

He received the reward for his stubbornness and his big-hitting when he broke the Federer serve in the eighth game of the second set although he was aided by a wild smash and several wayward forehands from the champion.

In the next game Ferrero went one better when he held serve to take the set, the first one Federer had dropped at this Wimbledon and only the sixth he had surrendered during a winning streak in SW19 which now stretches to 32 matches.

The shock of losing his first set of the tournament prompted Federer to take his game up a notch.

The serving became heavier. Where he had been content to rally from the baseline he was now coming in, shortening the points, taking the time and space away from his opponent.

He promptly broke Ferrero in the fourth and sixth games with a series of piercing backhands.

And suddenly it was one-way traffic, Federer breaking his opponent in the third game of the fourth set to take complete control and underline his determination to lift the famous gold trophy once more on Sunday.

"To equal his (Borg's) record would be fantastic with him maybe watching my match," said Federer.

"I've played in front of him a couple of times. I think the first time with somebody you admire and like it's intimidating.

"It's different when you know he's sitting there. You're not trying to prove yourself, but in the back of your mind you always know he's there.

"No pressure. I take it more as an enjoyment. I'm happy he comes back to Wimbledon because he didn't come back for such a long time."

He added: "I'm very far in the tournament so of course I have started dreaming about winning the tournament once again.

"That has been my big goal since a year ago when I won my fourth, try to come back and win my fifth.

"I don't see that as pressure, more as a fun thing, a challenge really. It's a dream come true because I never thought I would chase down former greats."