Federer Wins Two in One Day to Reach ATP Gstaad Semis
Posted on July 10, 2004

"I can't remember the last time I played twice in one day," Federer said. "You have to stay focused the whole day and it takes a lot out of you because you are not used to it. It was a very close match against Karlovic and also against Stepanek. I went three sets both times."
Stepanek had earlier beaten Swiss Davis Cup captain Marc Rosset 6-3 in the third. Joining Federer in the semifinals were (3)Rainer "Shine" Schuettler (d. Mantilla in three), and un-seeds "You Say" Potito Starace (d. (4)Novak) and Russian Igor Andreev (d. Ramirez Hidalgo).
In today's Gstaad semis are (1)Federer vs. (Q)Starace, and (3)Schuettler vs. Andreev, both first-time meetings.
Top-seeded Vince Spadea, hampered by a back injury, was thumped 6-2, 6-2 by Alexander "My Serve Has" Popp in the quarterfinals Friday on the lawns at Newport.
"His best surface is grass, he gets a lot of first serves in," said Spadea of the German giant. "He outplayed me today. It was a bad match for me and a good match for him."
Joining Popp in the semis were (5)Cyril Saulnier (d. (3)Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer), (8)Anthony Dupuis (d. Bogomolov, Jr. in three), and unseeded former Newport champ Greg Rusedski (d. Morrison).
On Saturday in Newport are (7)Popp vs. (5)Saulnier (Popp leads career meetings 1-0), and Rusedski vs. (8)Dupuis (first meeting).
French Open champ Gaston Gaudio kept his roll on at the ATP stop in Bastad Friday, easily downing Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal 6-2, 6-3, with the Spaniard looking off his game after returning this week from a broken foot.
"The result doesn't tell the truth about the match," Gaudio said. "It was a tough match and a good win for me."
The No. 2-seeded Gaudio was joined in the semis by another Argentine in No. 8 Mariano Zabaleta (d. A.Martin), along with No. 6 Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez (d. (WC)Monaco) and Swede Robin Soderling (d. (4)Chela in three) who was 0-6 on clay entering the event.
Today in Bastad will be (2)Gaudio vs. Soderling, and (6)Gonzo vs. (8)Zabaleta.
FED CUP QUARTERFINALS
U.S. at Austria
Site: Bergisel Stadion, Innsbruck, Austria
Surface: Red Clay (Outdoors)
Austria: Barbara Schett, Patricia Wartusch, Barbara Schwartz, Sybille "The Whammer" Bammer, Alfred Tesur (captain)
U.S.: Jill Craybas, Chanda Rubin, Martina Navratilova, Lisa Raymond, Zina Garrison (captain)
Despite playing without Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, and Serena and Venus Williams, the U.S. still maintains the upper hand. "We're getting all this negative reporting about who isn't here," Navratilova said. "We've become very close as a team. We go out together. We're determined to win." Too much information Martina.
Russia at Argentina
Site: Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Surface: Red Clay (Outdoors)
Argentina: Paola Suarez, Gisela "Sgt." Dulko, Mariana Diaz-Oliva, Patricia Tarabini, Ricardo Rivera (captain)
Russia: Anastasia Myskina, Vera "Warren" Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Likhovtseva, Shamil "The Czar" Tarpischev (captain)
Unless Suarez gets some big wins, this could be a romp for the top-heavy Russians, with a team including the French winner Myskina on the red dirt.
France at Italy
Site: Circolo Tennis Rimini, Rimini, Italy
Surface: Red Clay (Outdoors)
Italy: Francesca Schiavone, Tathiana Garbin, Silvia Farina Elia, Roberta Vinci, Corrado Barazzutti (captain)
France: Amelie Mauresmo, Mary Pierce, Emilie Loit, Tatiana Golovin, Guy Forget (captain)
France has won their last two meetings with Italy 5-0, but with this improved Italian squad they might drop a point.
Belgium at Spain
Site: Club Nazaret, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Surface: Red Clay (Outdoors)
Spain: Virginia Ruano Pascual, Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues, Marta Marrero, Maria Sanchez Lorenzo, Miguel Margets (captain)
Belgium: Caroline Maes, Evelyne Van Hyfte, Kirsten Flipkens, Els Callens, Ivo Van Aken (captain)
No Justine Henin-Hardenne, no Kim Clisjters, no chance for Belgium.
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