Quick Links
|
| Recent News...
|
|
 |
| See Also...
|
|
| |
|
|
| Rankings |
|
|
 |
|
|
Federer Silences Safin, Roddick Wins at Wimbledon
Posted on June 30, 2007
World No. 1 Roger Federer and former No. 1 Andy Roddick marched on toward a potential semifinal meeting Friday at Wimbledon, both advancing into the round of 16 with efficient straight-set wins.
Federer overwhelmed former No. 1 Marat Safin who had given him problems on grass in their last meeting in 2005 in the Halle final, while Roddick handled Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, wrapping up the match in a third-set tiebreak. Roddick's career confidence can be measured at any time by his tiebreak record, and the American has now won 18 in a row.
Roddick will next face Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, who beat No. 15-seeded Ivan Ljubicic in four sets.
"It's the fourth round of a Grand Slam," Roddick said. "I don't think he's ever been to the quarters. Mentally I feel like I have a bit of an edge going in. He's beaten some quality players in the first three rounds and they've all been pretty comfortable. That's quite a statement. I'm aware he's playing well."
Federer said he didn't know which Marat would show up for the match.
"I was very pleased with the performance because I knew the danger against Marat," Federer said. "I don't know if I played phenomenally, I just think I played the right way today. I kept the balls in play, served well when I had to, moved well and returned well, so I just did what I really had to."
Safin, who hasn't seen the latter rounds of many events since experiencing a knee injury, says he was overwhelmed by the occasion.
"It was my first time playing on Centre Court in years -- it was a strange feeling for me so it took me about two sets to get used to it," Safin said. "The ball was sliding a little more than other courts, and the space around the courts was much bigger. And the wind. I'm not taking any credit away from Roger, but still it was a difficult sensation to get used to. It was tough for me to be in my game."
Upsets on the day were orchestrated by Serb Janko Tipsarevic who defeated No. 5 Fernando Gonzalez 8-6 in the fifth, and No. 20 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero who stopped No. 9 James Blake in four sets. Blake, leading 4-2 in the fourth-set tiebreak, apparently decided against testing fate and his 0-9 career five-set record and meekly slid to defeat against the Spaniard.
Also moving ahead Friday was (13) Tommy Haas (d. (21) Tursunov in four), and hot-handed Frenchmen (12) Richard Gasquet (d. Roger-Vasselin), and Muhammad Ali look-alike Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (d. Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez).
Federer and Haas will next square off.
"We had some good battles the last couple times we've played," Haas said. "I feel if my game is going well, if I can serve well and use my chances when I get some, I definitely have a chance."
Highlights of Saturday play are (2) Rafael Nadal vs. (28) Robin Soderling, (16) Lleyton Hewitt vs. (22) Guillermo Canas, (23) David Nalbandian vs. (10) Marcos Baghdatis, Nicolas Kiefer vs. (4) Novak Djokovic, (6) Nikolay Davydenko vs. Gael "Force" Monfils, (14) Mikhail Youzhny vs. (18) Jarkko Nieminen, (19) Jonas Bjorkman vs. Aussie serving machine Wayne Arthurs, and (7) Tomas Berdych vs. Hyung-Taik Lee.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
