Tennis-Open-Been there, done that says relieved Federer

By Julien Pretot

PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) - Roger Federer said experience helped him survive the second five-set thriller of his 2009 French Open campaign as he battled past Argentine Juan Martin del Porto in the semi-finals on Friday.

The Swiss was one set from defeat when he rediscovered his touch to beat the fifth seed 3-6 7-6 2-6 6-1 6-4 and set up a final against Sweden's surprise package Robin Soderling.

The 20-year-old Del Potro, who dictated the play early in the match with his devastating forehand, eventually crumbled under relentless pressure from the world number two.

"I definitely feel more confident against a younger player," the 27-year-old Federer told a news conference.

"I remember when I was younger going to a fifth set is always a bit uneasy, just because you haven't been there that much. You're hoping so much to play well, and I think in a fifth set you can't just start hitting crazy shots.

"There are much more mental and physical things that come into a match like this. Obviously, at this age I do feel better going into a fifth set than I did before," he added.

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