Tired Federer Survives Davydenko at Australian Open

Posted on January 25, 2006

World No. 1 Roger Federer improved his career record over Nikolay Davydenko to 7-0 Wednesday at the Australian Open, but was pushed near the breaking point in a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9), 7-6(5) victory over the rising Russian.

Both players appeared to be dragging in the fourth set but it was Federer who looked worse for wear, with the Swiss finally securing the win in the tiebreak against the relentless baseliner.

"We always have tough matches," said Federer, who's error-strewn performance nonetheless earned him an Open Era-record 50th consecutive win on hardcourts. "This was one of the toughest. I'm very happy...Usually when I scramble it's because of my opponent. It was a fantastic match. He plays well on this surface and he definitely pushed me hard, but I still came through."

Federer received help when Davydenko double faulted on set point in the third-set tiebreak, but the Russian broke the Swiss' serve early in the fourth as Federer struggled with hot-and-cold play.

In the semifinals Federer will face German surprise package and No. 21 seed Nicolas Kiefer, who advanced Wednesday with a controversial 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, 6-7(1), 8-6 marathon win over No. 25 Sebastien Grosjean.

"It's great and I'm so happy because I knew the situation," said Kiefer, advancing to his career-first slam semifinal. "I've been so many times in the quarterfinals and this one today was my biggest one."

Kiefer's lead-up to Melbourne saw him as a slim hope with injury pull-outs from the Hopman Cup and Kooyong exhibitions, suffering back and ankle problems.

"I take so many painkillers but now everything hurts," Kiefer said.

Controversy and the specter of unsportsmanlike conduct arose late in the fifth set after Kiefer, who had scrambled for a dropshot then popped it up for an easy put-away for Grosjean, distracted the Frenchman by deliberately throwing his racquet in front of the path of the ball, with his racquet landing on Grosjean's side of the net. The distracted Frenchman missed the put-away, complaining to the chair umpire, while Kiefer immediately wagged his finger and shook his head, indicating the point should stand.

An official came out to confer with the chair umpire, with a ruling that the point stood as played, to the astonishment of fans and players alike.

"Of course, it's not nice but what can I do?" Kiefer said after the match. "I'm a person with so much tension inside. Everybody has to understand there are so many emotions and so much tension, you fight for four and a half hours and it happens."

Kiefer said he apologized for the incident, which Grosjean could not recall in his post-match conference, and the Frenchman bristled at Kiefer referring to him as his "good friend."

"I mean, 'friend' is a big word, I think," Grosjean said. "No, I think I was a little bit disappointed in, you know, the way he throw the racquet, you know, on such a big point. So even if he was expecting to lose the point, I mean, that's not the way it is."

Winners in doubles quarterfinal action Wednesday were (1) the Bryan brothers (d. Hernych/Karlovic 6-1 in the third), and (4) Paul Hanley/Kevin Ullyett (d. (8) Aspelin/Perry in three).

Scheduled for Thursday is the first singles semifinal is (4) Nalbandian vs. Marcos "Bombs Over" Baghdatis (career meetings tied 1-1), and the doubles semis in (1) the Bryan brothers vs. (4) Hanley/Ullyett, and (7) Damm/Paes vs. the unseeded Poles Fyrstenberg/Matkowski.