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Roger Federer, the US Open 2014 and Slam No.18: The Case For and Against.
Photo courtesy of sportige.com Roger Federer, world No.3, Cincinnati winner, Wimbledon finalist and the U.S Open No.2 seed is one of the favorites, and in some eyes of the tennis media, the favorite to win the 2014 Men’s singles U.S Open title.
The tennis review looks at the cases for and against the Swiss winning his first slam since Wimbledon 2012.
Case: Roger Federer is the form player:
For: Federer is coming in as the Wimbledon runner up, the Toronto finalist and the Cincinnati winner. That is a pretty good run.
Against: But there have been better going into the the Open in year’s past. Federer himself was the Wimbledon champion and the Cincy winner in 2012 but lost in the last eight. Also, Federer beat Monfils, Raonic, Murray and Ferrer to win this year’s Cincy, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga got through a much tougher draw in Djokovic, Murray, Dimitrov and Federer to win Toronto. Also, Milos Raonic is the U.S Open Series winner, so Federer is one of many in form players going into the event, and one of them beat him handily these past few weeks.
Case: Nadal is not in the draw.
For: Nadal leads Federer 8-2 in slams, and 2-0 at hard court ones, but only at one hard court slam- the Australian Open. The two have never met at the US Open. They did meet in the Cicncy quarters last year and Nadal won in three sets, so he would have his chances on the decoturf.
Against: Nadal was not in the draw in 2012, yet Federer still did not win. Nadal did not make it to the finals in 2009, Federer still did not win. In fact, Federer has not won the event since 2008, and has lost to Berdych, Del Potro, Djokovic and Robredo, so there are a few players who can beat him in New York other than Nadal.
Case: Djokovic is rusty.
For: Djokovic is arguably the greatest hard court player playing right now, and he has never performed so poorly on the North American hard court swing going into the Open. It is fair to say then that Federer is not going to be coming up against Djokovic in 2011 form. Federer is 2-2 versus the world No.1 this year so he has a chance, and he has the aggressive game to win, too.
Against: Djokovic’s rust is as much mental as technical. You could hear his brain squeaking as he went down to Tsonga and Robredo this summer. And that rust is understandable. An exhausting clay campaign in which he dealt commendably with the ‘career slam’ hype, a first slam title after losing so many finals in a final in which he nearly choked the lead, then the hype about the ‘ATP Masters slam’. Not to mention the marriage. So the fact he was not up for it the last few weeks is pretty understandable-he is in eleventh year as a pro after all.
Expect that rust to be well and truly gone after a few five setters in New York. Djokovic loves a fight in the big time, ask Federer who lost to him in five sets, once when leading with match points, the last two times they played in NYC. Federer will not need to0 much reminding how good Djokovic is on hard. He lost to him in a final set breaker in Indian Wells this year. The fact is Djokovic is a better hard court player right now and if the two meet in the final, the favorite will be the Serb.
Case: Federer has a dream draw.
For: He certainly has a good draw for the first four rounds. None of those matches should tire him out, and things could have been a lot, lot worse.
Against: Once Federer gets to the quarters, things get sketchier. Especially if he comes up against Grigor Dimitrov. The young star, known as Baby Fed, has what it takes to knock off Federer, and after his Wimbledon semi-final experience, he won’t be intimidated by the last eight in New York. Then, in the last four, Federer could meet Berdych. Berdych has beaten Federer at the US Open and at Wimbledon and will not be daunted at all. So, the draw has been kind to a point, but then like all slam draws for Federer since the Australian Open 2010, bar one, the draw gets a little nasty.
Case: It is Federer’s destiny.
For: Nadal is out, Djokovic is rusty, Federer is playing all conquering all-court tennis, he has a dream draw. Federer has 17 slams and deserves an 18th at 33 before he retires. Now is Federer’s time to do it- it is written in the stars.
Against: Since when did Shakepeare start writing tennis history? There are a lot of players who deserve to win a slam, who dedicate their live to that goal. Federer has 17, destiny would say that is quite enough. If Federer wins this US Open title, it will be because he earned it and thus deserves it. Not because the stars have it aligned that way.
So, while Federer is more than capable of winning his 18th slam in New York in two weeks, it is not as cut and dry as some would have us believe. Like any of the 17 times Federer has won a slam, or any player in history has for that matter, he is going to need to play his best tennis and get the odd bit of luck here and there. Federer has certainly worked hard enough to come up with both, and whatever happens this US Open, watching him compete at his best on the biggest stadiums is going to be something to remember.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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The U.S Open: The Men Who Could Be King
Photo courtesy of www1.skysports.com This year the Men’s U.S Open draw may be as wide open as it has been for the last decade. It features four past champions- Roger Federer (5), Novak Djokovic (1), Andy Murray (1), and Lleyton Hewitt (1), but all of them have question marks looming over their current chances to win another title. Meanwhile, the draw is without the other two active champions Rafael Nadal (2), and Juan Martin Del Potro (1).
The chances of the four past champions are slimmer than is usual for the favorites going into a Major. Federer is the most in form, but he is losing more finals than he wins nowadays, and his defeat to Tsonga in Toronto will give hope to any of his rivals at the top of their game. Djokovic is out of sorts. Murray has not really gotten his game back together since his back injury. Hewitt’s grand slam contending days are nearly a decade behind him.
Which means this year is the perfect year for a new U.S Open King to be crowned. And if it is anyone other than Stan Wawrinka, then it would be a new member to the Grand Slam winner’s club.
The tennis review takes a look below at the men who could be King this U.S Open– why they have a chance, and what they need, both things in their control and those little touches of luck debut slam champs need to help them on their way into the history books, to make it happen.
1. Milos Raonic (Seeded 5)
Photo courtesy of ca.sports.yahoo.com Why he has a chance: That big serve, perhaps the biggest in the game. He has a great attitude, too. He is very focused and when you hear him talk, his deep love for the game, and his respect for its history, is as big as his first service delivery. Mentally tough and with one of the weapons you need to win on hard courts, Raonic has two major things you need to win a Major: a big weapon and a big heart.
What he needs to happen: He needs to have his serve hold up every match. If the serve breaks down, or is slightly off and is broken down by one of the game’s master returners, Raonic is in trouble. While his overall game has improved greatly this past year to see him establish himself as a top ten player, it can let him down if he is drawn into long rallies against the more proficient baseliners. It would also help Raonic if Murray or Djokovic were taken out before the last four as both men can exploit his weaknesses over five sets. The fifth seed also needs to face a first time finalist, too. Nerves got the better of him in first Major semi-final at Wimbledon against Roger Federer, and they could do him in again if he ends up facing him in his first final.
2. Tomas Berdych (Seeded 6)
Photo courtesy of http://www.telegraph.co.ukh Why he has a chance: This is Berdych’s 45th slam, and he has been to one final at Wimbledon, so he has the most experience of the non slam winners. He also has a strong record at the US Open, making the semi-final after beating then world No.1 Federer in the 2012 event. Then there is his game, an effective serve, big groundstrokes and he can hit flat through the court. If he comes out aggressive from the first ball, he has a chance.
What he needs to happen: Berdych needs to shake off the rust before he goes up against upset specialist Lleyton Hewitt in the first round. After playing some of the best tennis of his career on his way to the Melbourne semi-finals- a few better struck second serves in tiebreaks to Stan Wawrinka and it could have been Berdych in the final versus an injured Nadal-and winning in Rotterdam, Berdych has struggled a little since the Clay Season. He could also do with Ernests Gulbis flopping before their projected fourth encounter as the Latvian has been known to blow him off court.
3. Grigor Dimitov (Seeded 7)
Photo courtesy of http://www.bobpix.com Why he has a chance: The former US Open boys champion is not known as BabyFed for nothing. A varied and well-timed service delivery, an all court game and all the talent you could ask for are all in his make-up. He is also improving on a steady level and just made his first Major semi-final at Wimbledon where he pushed eventual champion Novak Djokovic all the way. If his trajectory keeps going the way it is, it would not be a big surprise to see him in his first ever Major final, or even winning.
What he needs to happen: If Dimitrov comes up against Federer in the quarters, he needs to be prepared mentally and believe he can win. It will be a big occasion and there will be more column inches about the ‘passing of the baton’ than you can shake Federer’s RF97 tennis racket at. It might be better for Dimitrov if Federer went home early. He could certainly negotiate anyone from Federer’s bracket with ease, and he has a good record versus potential semi-final opponents Ferrer and Berdych.
4. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Seeded 9)
Photo courtesy of http://www.tennisinfinite.com
Why he has a chance: Tsonga has the kind of game that can and does beat anyone. It did, just two weeks backs in Toronto when he beat Djokovic, Murray, Dimitrov and Federer to take the title. Tsonga comes into the US Open in form and in the mood. It has been nearly seven years since he made his run to the Australian Open, his sole appearance at that stage of a Major, and he must be feeling now is the time to not only equal that, but go one better.
What he needs to happen: He has to stay tough when matches get tight. He will certainly create chances to lead in big matches, but often, when things go down to the wire, Tsonga’s nerves get a little frazzled and he can short-circuit, hitting outrageous errors when just points before he was striking sublime winners. What once were the shots of a carefully executing man become the wild selections of a trigger happy blind assassin. Tsonga has shown he has the game to beat anyone, now he has to show he has the mind.
5. Kei Nishikori (Seeded 10)
Photo courtesy of http://www.themalaymailonline.com
Why he has a chance: Nishikori has all the technical ability, all the shots and when inspired, he is a joy to watch. Hard courts sit well with him too- he has been to the last sixteen in New York and the quarter-finals in Melbourne. He also has the mind of a future champion-look how he led Nadal by a set and a break on clay courts in the Madrid final. He believed he could win, and had he not gotten injured, he might have.
What he needs to happen: Though Nishikori may have the mind of a champion, he does not have the body. His body has broken down on him in Miami, Madrid and forced him out of the U.S Open Series ATP 1000 events. While he has reassured fans he is OK for the Open, if he has a couple of pounding matches, and he will with the likes of Jack Sock, Pablo Andujar and Leonardo Mayer in his sixteenth of the draw. He needs to get through those matches quickly, and hope for some upsets to happen to the heavyweights Djokovic, Murray, Raonic and Wawrinka in his half.
6. Marin Cilic
Photo courtesy of cornedbeefhash.wordpress.com Why he has a chance: Marin Cilic belts his serve and his ground-strokes as big as anyone in the game, and when he is on top of it, no one is safe. This year he has won titles on the fast surfaces of Delray Beach and Zagreb, been to the final of Rotterdam and the quarter-finals of Wimbledon where he took Djokovic to five sets. He also took sets of the world No.1 in Miami and at Roland Garros. And this U.S Open Series, he pushed Roger Federer to the brink in Toronto, saving six match points in their epic encounter. A former semi-finalist at the Australian Open (2010), and a quarter-finalist at the US Open in 2009 (beat Murray) and 2012, (lead Murray by a set and a break), Cilic has all the tools to win a Major, and finally seems to be strengthening what has often been the weakest tool in his kit, his mind.
What he needs to happen: A lot has gone right for Cilic with his draw. Marcos Baghdatis will test him in the first round, but if Cilic is as good as he has been this year at dealing with lower ranked players in the early rounds of events, he should dismiss him, maybe dropping a set to one of the game’s most talented shotmakers over whom he has a 4-1 head to head lead.
Janowicz or Anderson, two other big servers may be waiting in the third round, but Cilic has much more pedigree than either of them and should be able to edge them in a tight four or five sets.
A meeting with fourth seed David Ferrer, who he trails 1-3, but beat at the 2009 Australian Open, will be tough, as Ferrer is in form and has one of the best return games on the tour right now. This is where Cilic will really prove just how far he has improved when it comes to his mind. Cilic will need the match to be scheduled in the heat of the day and for Ferrer to have been worn down by Simon in the previous round, but whatever the conditions Ferrer will get one more ball back than most men, and could frustrate Cilic into error. However if Cilic can keep his first serve percentage high, be smart about when he attacks and impose his game on Ferrer, then he can win. But he will have to be at the very top of his game, and his mind will have to be in its best shape- slams, though, don’t come along any other way.
If Cilic can get to the quarters, out of form Tomas Berdych could be the best possible draw. He leads him 5-3 and mastered him in thre sets at Wimbledon this year.
Once into the semis, Cilic would face either Federer or Dimitrov, both of whom have the variety and the wits to handle him. However, Cilic has the game to beat them. If he can use his serve for easy points, his flat brutal strokes to hit through the courts, the wisdom of coach Goran Ivanisevic to stay calm under pressure, and his experience of sitting out the event last year after being banned from substance abuse then Cilic could make it to the final where anything could happen and he would have a great chance to become King of New York.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Five Reasons Why the U.S Open Will Miss Rafa Nadal
Photo courtesy of http://www.thestar.com The U.S Open kicks off on Monday, but will be without its defending champion Rafael Nadal. The world No.2 will be sorely missed. Here are five, of many, reasons why.
1. Nadal is the defending champion and the tournament will miss either his successful defense or the drama of another player knocking him out.
Nadal is not a natural hardcourter, and has had to adjust and improve his game to be as successful on the surface as he has (three hard court slams, 9 ATP 1000 titles). It was amazing to watch him clean up at last year’s US Open series, and it would have been, considering his struggles this year, fascinating to see how he handled defending his title.
Matches featuring defending champions at slams also have another edge to them– the drama of their possible defeat. As defending champ, they are the man to beat, and when they do get beat, the crowd gets into it, and the atmosphere is electric. It is also a situation we have not seen Nadal in too often. He has won most of his slams, eight of 14 at Roland Garros and has successfully defended that title six times.
2. That forehand. One of the great shots in tennis (along with Djokovic’s backhand and Federer’s serve), it really comes alive on hard when he is on form. Hit heavy and with spin, it bites through the court, and if spectator’s could eat it, it would taste delicious. Take a look at this video to remind yourself of what you will be missing:
3. No first US Open showdown with Roger. Nadal leads Federer in slams 8-2, but they have never met at the US Open, a surface that should favor Federer and where Nadal has struggled at times.
This match up brings out the best, and at times, the worst in both players, and with Federer on the rise, and Nadal struggling this season, this potential match-up in New York could not have happened at a more fascinating time. It won’t happen though, not this year, and tennis is the worse for it. Federer, though, might be better off, however, but that’s another article.
4. His best game. Nadal has brought some of the best tennis of his career to the U.S Open. Remember in 2010 when he turned up serving the best he has ever done in his career?
He also brings out the best games in his opponents. Players like Juan-Martin Del Potro, Mikhail Youzhny, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have had to play some of their best tennis to get past him.
Photo courtesy of juanfutbol.com 5. The intensity he brings to matches. The photo above says it all. Few have the toughness and intensity of Nadal, and the U.S Open will miss what he brings to every match.
However, it is not all one way traffic on the missing front when it comes to the U.S Open and Rafael Nadal. There is one big thing Rafael Nadal will miss about the U.S Open. This:
Photo courtesy of http://www.fanpop.com With 14 slams on his record, and 3 shy of Federer’s tally, Nadal will watch on as his rivals compete for the trophy. And it will hurt as much as the injury that has turned him into a spectator. One who the U.S Open will miss greatly. And the feeling will be mutual.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Roger Federer Wins Sixth Cincinnati title
Photo courtesy of sports.xin.msn.com Roger Federer won his sixth Cincinnati title at the weekend beating sixth seed David Ferrer 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. It is Federer’s third title and first ATP 1000 trophy of the year. It was also his 16th win over the Spaniard in a rivalry in which he has never lost a match.
Federer did not have everything his own way though in a match he was the heavy favorite to win. Ferrer pushed him in the first set, earning four break points, but the Federer serve was too strong. Federer served at 60 percent on his first serve, and won 78 percent of those points, but it was on his second serve that he was so impressive. The Swiss won 67 percent of points behind his second delivery as he took the first set 6-3.
In the second set, the Spaniard came back at the Swiss at his counter-punching aggressive best, working his inside out forehand, and using his return, one of the best on the tour, to put the pressure on Federer. It worked. Federer’s first serve percentage dropped to 52 percent and his second serve dropped to 33 percent as Ferrer raced through the second set 6-1.
Federer, who is 2-5 in finals in 2014, re-established himself firmly in the third, breaking early and then stamping his authority in the match with his aggressive game style and his serve. The Swiss notched up a huge 84 percent first serve percentage, won 94 percent of points behind it. He also returned well, earning 8 break points and converting two of them. The on-form Swiss overwhelmed the man he had previously only lost two sets to on hard courts and took the third set 6-2.
The victory was Federer’s biggest of the year after going the distance in big finals in Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and Wimbledon. It was his sixth Cincy title win and will boost his confidence as he goes into an even bigger event he would like to win for a sixth time: the US Open. Playing as aggressively and serving as well as he is, tennis fans will fancy his chances.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Cincinnati Men’s Final Preview: Numbers Favor Federer but a Few are for Ferrer
Photo courtesy of http://www.stevegtennis.com The numbers will look daunting for David Ferrer as he goes into his ATP 1000 Cincinnati final against Roger Federer. The Spaniard has never beaten Federer in their 15 meetings, and Federer has a clean 5-0 record in Cincinnati finals.
And that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Federer’s superiority in numbers over Ferrer. This will be Federer’s seventh final of 2014, Ferrer’s second. Federer is ranked No.3, Ferrer No.6. This will be Federer’s 38th ATP 1000 final, Ferrer’s 8th. Federer has won 21, Ferrer has one title.
The list could go on, but it is already clear that Federer outclasses Ferrer in every department. However, there are three numbers Ferrer can cling to when it comes to his chances in tomorrow’s final.
The first ones are 3-6, 6-4, 3-6. That is the score of Ferrer’s loss to Federer in the quarter-finals of the pair’s meeting at the ATP 1000 event in Toronto last week. Up against the net-rushing Federer, Ferrer managed to take a set with his counter-punching aggression. It was only the second set Ferrer had managed to win in his nine hard court losses to the Swiss. The other set came, encouragingly, in Cincinnati in 2009, the year Federer won two slams and made the US Open final.
That 6-4 set win in Toronto came down to the second number which increases Ferrer’s chances against Federer in tonight’s final- his second serve return percentage. In Toronto, Ferrer got a look at 37 second serves, and won 22 of them, giving him a percentage of 59 on second service points won. That day Federer was serving at 57 percent on his first serves. Similar numbers tonight and Federer could find himself in trouble against the man who is third on the ATP leaderboard for points won on second serve, and in second place on points won returning first serve and return games won.
While Federer’s serve is one of the tour’s best- he wins 91 percent of his service games and saves 71 percent of break points– his serve has let him down more often than not in the biggest matches- finals- this year, another encouraging number for Ferrer. Federer has made seven finals, and he has lost five of them. He has also been losing them to men against whom he has a leading head to head.
Hewitt beat him in Brisbane (Federer leads their head to head 18-9), Wawrinka beat him in Monte Carlo (14-2) and Tsonga beat him Toronto (11-5). In all those finals, Federer came up against the most in-form opponents at the event, none of whom were favorites to win, and threw in some sloppy service games which proved to be his downfall. Meanwhile, against Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells, his serve failed him where it mattered most, in the final set tiebreaker, and at Wimbledon his service declined in the fifth set and capitulated when serving to stay in the match.
Whether it is age and Federer is tired by the time finals day comes around, or whether it is mental and the fact there may not be many more years of finals ahead is playing on his mind, finals day seems to be the best place to catch the Swiss. For Ferrer, today could be the day his numbers against Federer start to count in his favor.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Cincinnati Semi Finals Review: Federer and Ferrer to Face off
Photo courtesy of http://www.24heures.ch Roger Federer and David Ferrer will face off in the Cincinnati final today after comfortable wins in their semi-final matches. David Ferrer was up first at the Western and Southern Open and beat 41st ranked Julien Benneteau 6-3, 6-2. Federer followed, and dismissed fifth seeded Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-3.
Ferrer put on a five star returning performance in his victory. The Spaniard won 47 percent of his return points, created ten break points and won four of them. And that was against a quality server making 67 percent of his first serves. Ferrer also served well, getting 70 percent of his first serves in and winning 75 percent of points behind that shot.
Ferrer will appear in his seventh ATP 1000 final, and his first in Cincinnati. Roger Federer, meanwhile, will be in his 38th ATP 1000 final, and has won the Cincinnati event five times. He showed his class at the event up against Raonic. serving at 63 percent, winning 88 percent of his first serve deliveries and winning 50 percent of points on the Raonic second serve. Unfortunately for the Canadian, he was only able to get in 44 percent of his first serves, which against Roger Federer on one of his favorite courts, is not good enough.
The meeting between Federer and Ferrer comes a week after their tightly contested quarter-final in Toronto which Federer won 63, 4-6, 6-3. That tough battle should give Ferrrer some hope in what will be the 16th match between the two, a match up in which Ferrer has yet to grab a victory.
Although Federer’s record at the event, and his great 2014 form which has seen him reach seven finals this year, might seem ominous for Ferrer, the Spanaird can take heart in the fact Federer has lost five of those finals, and three of them against players against whom he has leading head to heads.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Cincinnati Semi-finals preview: Federer and Ferrer Favorites for Final
Photo courtesy of http://www.cp24.com The first semi of the day at the ATP 1000 event The Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio, is Julien Benneteau, the unseeded Frenchman, ranked 41, who upset Stan Wawrinka, versus the 6th seed David Ferrer who beat Novak Djokovic’s conqueror Tommy Robredo.
This classic match-up of contrasting styles- Ferrer is an aggressive counterpuncher, Benneateau a serve and volley stylist- has played out on the ATP Tour nine times, and Ferrer just edges the head to head 5-4. On hard courts, Benneteau has a 3-2 advantage over the Spaniard.
Both men come into the match mentally tough after coming through three setters in their quarter-finals. Benneteau will be feeling especially confident after coming back after losing the first set 1-6 to beat Wawrinka.
But Ferrer will be feeling good, too, after his win over the in-form Robredo. After a bit of a slump this season, Ferrer has been getting his game back together, reaching the Hamburg final and now making this run.
Ferrer will draw on all his experience at the top level of tennis- he has gone as far as the semi-finals of the US Open in 2007 and 2012, and made the last eight last year, He has also won an ATP 1000 event in Paris and been an ATP 1000 runner-up five times.
Imposing their game early on the match will be vital for both men. One of the striking things about the Benneteau-Ferrer rivalry is that the winner usually cruises to victory, with only one of their seven three set matches going the distance, while in their two best of five matches, the winner has won in three and four sets.
The second semi-final serves up a battle of the serves in second seeded Roger Federer versus fifth seed Milos Raonic. Federer came throug a testy straight setter over Murray, while Raonic thrashed Fabio Fognini 6-0, 6-1 in a match which saw him save seven break points.
Federer leads this head to head 5-0, but three of their five matches have gone to three sets. Federer has, though, won their last two matches in straight sets at the Australian Open ’13 and Wimbledon this season.
Of the two’s serves, Raonic’s is the most explosive, and the bigger weapon around which his game is built, while Federer’s is the most diverse, packs a fair punch, too but is one of many big weapons in his arsenal.
Sets will come down to who falters first on their delivery, and of the two Federer has the better return, and will be the more able to take advantage if Raonic serves at 51 percent, like he did against Fognini. But Raonic also won 70 percent of his second service points, and if he can keep his stats on that shot as high, his chances will increase significantly. However, if he gets nervous and his second serves land in Federer’s strike zone, Federer will get the ball back in play and then outplay Raonic with his far superior all round game.
Raonic will have to serve at his best if he is to win, and hope Federer is having one of the bad days which have gotten the better of him at most of the events he has played this year. Unfortunately for Raonic, those days have come on final’s day. Federer will have history on his side in another way, too- as well as having never lost to Raonic, he has never lost a semi in Cincinnati in his five appearances at the last four there. Ominous stats for Raonic, but if anything can overcome them, it is the ever- improving Canadian’s serve on the fast courts of Cincinnati.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Roger Federer beats Andy Murray to Make Cincinnati Semi-finals
Photo courtesy of deportes.terra.cl Roger Federer beat Andy Muray 6-3, 7-5 to make the semi-finals of the Cincinnati ATP 1000 event. The meeting was the rival’s 22nd, and Federer’s win evens their head to head to 11-11.
Federer won a straightforward first set against the Scot who was struggling with his serve, only getting 47 percent of his first serves in. To make matters worse, Murray was winning just 50 percent of points behind his second serve. That enabled Federer, who was serving at 68 percent on his first serves, to get nine break points, and he converted two of them to grab the first set 6-3.
Murray came back strong in the second set and led 4-1. But the lead was short-lived. Federer leveled the match at 4-4 as his own game stayed solid and Murray’s fell apart.
Murray managed to stay in the match a little while longer, but Federer broke with Murray serving at 5-6 to book his place in the semi-finals. It will be Federer’s sixth appearance in the semi-finals of the event. Of the previous five times he has reached the semi-finals, the Swiss has gone on to win the title.
Federer will face sixth seed Milos Raonic who thrashed Fabio Fognini 6-0, 6-1.
The other semi-final will see Julien Benneateau, a three set winner over Stan Wawrinka. The Frenchman battled back from a set down to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 and upset the third seed. Benneteau will now clash with David Ferrer who beat Tommy Robredo 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Novak Djokovic Tumbled out of Cincinnati by Tommy Robredo
Photo courtesy of http://www.hngn.com Novak Djokovic has been tumbled out of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati by veteran Tommy Robredo 7-6, 7-5. The loss put an end to the world No.1’s quest to win the ATP Career Golden Masters
Robredo got the first break of the first set at 2-2 with an inspired backhand winner of a short ball. But when serving at 4-3, Robredo was broken back by the game’s best returner.
Robredo had more chances to break at 4-4, however he could not take his break point as he went for too much and his backhand down the line missed the line.
Both men held serve into the tie-breaker. Robredo’s backhand and its range earned him the minibreak as he forced an error from an off balance Djokovic. The Spaniard gave up the mini-break with a double-fault for 3-3.
At 4-3, Robredo grabbed another mini-break as a cross court forehand exchange went his way as Djokovic missed the line. Robredo then broke again as he took on a second serve with the backhand, approached the net and hustled Djokovic into error to hold 3 set points at 6-3.
Djokovic saved them with some of his best shotmaking and defensive skills, forcing Robredo to go for too much and error.
However, Robredo got a look at a second serve, hit a deep and flat return at Djokovic’s feet and earned another setpoint. This time he took it with an ace down the tee that just clipped the side of the line.
The second set went with serve to 4-5 Djokovic serving. The Serbian hit a double-fault to go two match points down. He saved the first one as Robredo hit a tentative forehand into the net. A service winner saved the second, and the Serbian moved on to hold serve as the zap that had marked Robredo’s performance vanished.
But serving at 5-6, Djokovic was in trouble again. He fell match point down once more, and this time Robredo was ready. He mixed it up with spins and slice, hit flat on the forehand, moved in and won the match with a volley to send Djokovic tumbling out of the one ATP 1o00 event he has been unable to win. Robredo, meanwhile scored a victory over a player he has lost to seven times, and beaten once, and moves confidently into the quarter-finals.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Cincinnati Open Day 4 Round-up: Federer fights past Pospisil in three for ATP 1000 win No. 300
Photo courtesy of themalaymailonline.com Roger Federer had to work hard at the ATP 1000 event in Cincinnati to grab his 300th career ATP 1000 victory.
Second seeded Roger Federer was pushed all the way by Canadian Vasek Pospisil for the first two sets in their second round match at the ATP 1000 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
In the first set, Pospisil had chances on the Federer serve as the Swiss served to stay in the set at 4-5 and 5-6, but the Canadian could not take them and the Swiss’ experience helped him through the tiebreak.
But Pospisil was not to be denied in the second set and with Federer serving to stay in at 5-6, Pospisil earned a break point and converted it to level the match at a set all.In the third set, though, the Pospisl challenge ended. Federer broke for 2-1, then broke again for 4-1 and held serve to take the third set 6-2.
Other seeded players in action were eighth seed Andy Murray who cruised past Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-3. Sixteenth seed Tommy Robredo was also a comfortable winner against Sam Querrey, winning 6-3, 6-4. And fifteenth seed Fabio Fognini eased past former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt 6-1, 6-4.
Not all the seeds cruised through though. Sixth seed David Ferrer was pushed to three tiebreak sets by big-hitting Philipp Kohlschreiber. Meanwhile fourteeth seed Marin Cilic needed two tiebreakers to get past Fernando Verdasco.
And some seeds did not make it past the round of 32. One of those was seventh seed who suffered a surprise loss to 65th ranked 2013 Wimbledon Semi-finalist Jerzy Janowicz. Another upset was the loss of fourth seed Tomas Berdych who was beaten 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 by his Washington conqueror Yen Hsun-Lu.
Mikhail Youznhy, who caused the upset of the previous round when he knocked out Toronto champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, followed up that impressive win with a victory over Andreas Seppi.
One man who was not able to follow up a surprise win was Britain’s James Ward. The qualifier went down to 41st ranked Julien Benneteau 6-2, 6-2.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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