Stan takes less advice from me now: Federer

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer on Tuesday suggested that his compatriot

Stan Wawrinka

has gradually grown out of his shadow and takes less advice from him now.

"I don't recall exactly when that started to happen. I remember giving Stan a lot of advice on how he should play certain guys," Federer said after beating

Mischa Zverev

6-1, 7-5, 6-2 to set up a mouth-watering semifinal against

Wawrinka

at the

Australian Open

.

"What I like with Stan is if I would tell him something, I felt like he was able to do it. That showed me that he's a great player, that he's got a mind of somebody who understands what I'm trying to explain him.

"Then the day came where he didn't call me so much any more. He called me less and less. I also felt like I didn't tell him any more, because he created his knowledge, his base, had his team. Only from time to time would I give him advice if he asked me.

"Otherwise I was happy that he was able to let go and go on his own path. I don't remember when that was, but I think it was sort of a few years before his first Grand Slam."

Fourth seed Wawrinka entered the last-four after taming Frenchman

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-3.

Federer said he was didn't attach importance to head-to-head records against any player.

"Look, like a lot of guys, I was able to play them when they were young, which is, I guess, for the head-to-head an advantage. I don't care much about head-to-heads in general because I feel like every day's a different matchup," said Federer, who holds an 18-3 edge over Wawrinka.