Federer Looks Sharp Moving Into ATP Dubai Quarters

Posted on March 6, 2004

Top-seeded Roger Federer cruised to a second round win in the seed-depleted field at Dubai Thursday, defeating the scampering Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4.

"I thought I played pretty well today," Federer said. "I was consistent and felt that even if he would come back I could control the match. That took pressure off my own serve. I served well again at the moments I had to, I played aggressive which is what I usually do on break points." The world No. 1 Federer is looking for his second title on the year after winning at the Australian Open. Federer and No. 8 Sjeng Schalken are the only seeds remaining in the field.

Other second round winners Thursday were un-seeds Ivan Ljubicic (d. (7)Srichaphan in three, with the Thai still suffering from a twisted ankle), Spain's Feliciano Lopez (d. (Q)Kohlschreiber), and Romania's Andrei Pavel (d. (Q)Zib 6-1 in the third). Friday's quarterfinal schedule is Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal vs. Youzhny (first meeting), Ljubicic vs. F.Lopez (first meeting), (1)Federer vs. Pavel (Fed leads 5-1), and Nieminen vs. (8)Schalken (Schalken leads 1-0).

No completed matches in Scottsdale Friday due to rain, with (2)Martin "Berzerk" Verkerk leading Cecil Mamiit 6-2, 0-2, and Swede Robin Soderling leading Victor Hanescu 3-2 when the day was washed out. Today's backed-up schedule features (1)Roddick vs. Bogomolov Jr., former champ Gambill vs. Burgsmuller, (Q)Mamiit vs. (2)Verkerk (to finish), (7)Kiefer vs. (3)Ginepri, (4)Spadea vs. (6)Blake, Hanescu vs. Soderling (to finish), then (1)Roddick or (WC)Bogomolov Jr. vs. Gambill or Burgsmuller.

Three more seeds advanced into the Acapulco quarterfinals Thursday in (1)Carlos Moya (d. Gasquet, coming back from a set down), (7)Juan Ignacio Chela (d. Ferrer), and (8)Filippo Volandri (d. Koubek), and joined by unseeded Oscar Hernandez (d. Horna 7-6 in the third). Today's quarterfinals on the dirt feature (1)Moya vs. (8)Volandri, (7)Chela vs. O.Hernandez, (WC)Canas vs. Ramirez Hidalgo, and (2)Massu vs. Verdasco.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
World No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne improved her 2004 record to 16-0 Thursday with a 6-1, 7-5 win over France's Nathalie Dechy to move into the Doha semifinals.

"She played better than me in the second set," Henin-Hardenne said. "The match could have gone into three sets, but I am happy that I found a way out to win it. These things happen and you will have to be at your best."

Other quarterfinal winners were (2)Jennifer Capriati (d. (5)Farina Elia after a slow start), (3)Anastasia Myskina (d. Zheng, making good on her earlier comment that the Chinese are only good at table tennis), and unseeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Shaughnessy in three). Friday's semifinals line up as Henin-Hardenne vs. Kuznetsova in a re-match of the Dubai final (H-H leads 4-0 in their career meetings), and Myskina vs. Capriati (American leads 4-0).

No upsets on the dirt in Acapulco Thursday with two seeds advancing in (3)Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (d. Diaz-Oliva) and (4)Emilie Loit (d. Washington), and two un-seeds in Aussie Samantha Stosur (d. Schruff) and Julia Vakulenko (d. Garbin). Today's red-socked quarterfinals are Loit vs. Benesova, Vakulenko vs. Sanchez Lorenzo, Marrero vs. Stosur, and Pennetta vs. the 14-year-old Vaidisova. Try and get that on ESPN SportsCenter.

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
14-year-old Czech Nicole Vaidisova on advancing to the quarterfinals in he first WTA event at Acapulco: "I was surprised the match was so easy," said Vaidisova after beating the No. 2 seed Shinobu Asagoe. "I was so happy to have the chance to come to this tournament because it was my first opportunity to play a WTA Tour event. I am fortunate to start at 14 because I would like to have a long career." Vaidisova won the Orange Bowl junior singles title last December and was a runner-up at this year's Australian Open juniors...Paola Bolvin writing for the Arizona Republic: "For the first time in four years, the men's game is more popular than the women's. It was evident in the stir of the crowd (at Scottsdale) as (Andy) Roddick walked past to finish his meeting with John van Lottum on Wednesday, and in the giggling females that watched James Blake, once People magazine's "Sexiest Athlete Alive," take on Russia's Igor Andreev later that night."...Jennifer Capriati hasn't reached a final since winning New Haven last August.