|
|
|
| May 14, 2005 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1426 |
Federer downs Coria to move into semifinals
HAMBURG (Germany), May 13: World number one Roger Federer swept through to the Hamburg Masters semifinals with a resilient 6-4 7-6 victory over Argentina’s Guillermo Coria on Friday. The 23-year-old top seed, who also beat Coria in last year’s Hamburg final, was a break down in both sets and behind in the tiebreak but recovered to quell the Argentine 10th seed and set up a semi-final against Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Federer, who will be attempting to win the only grand slam title missing from his collection at the French Open starting in 10 days, wowed the Rothenbaum crowd with some breathtaking groundstrokes on a sun-kissed centre court.
Having trailed 3-1, the Swiss wrested the initiative from last year’s French Open runner-up, flourishing his backhand to devastating effect. He forced the decisive break at 5-4 when Coria twice hit forehands out to lose the set.
The second set was interrupted with Coria trailing 2-3 for five minutes after a spectator apparently fell ill in the stands and the incident seemed to break Federer’s concentration.
A careless forehand gave Coria break point and, riding his luck, the Argentine mishit a forehand on to the line to break and he held serve to lead 5-3.
Federer, though, broke straight back to force the tiebreak, which he took 7-3 after overturning a 0-2 deficit as Coria, who lost in five sets in the Rome final last Sunday, lost his nerve under pressure.
Federer has now won 39 of his 41 matches this year and together with in-form Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal is the favourite for the French Open crown.
As the only one of the top 10 seeds left at Hamburg, he is also an overwhelming favourite to win his third Rothenbaum title in four years.
Davydenko, the world number 20, overcame Italy’s Filippo Volandri 7-6 6-4.
The soft-serving Italian was furious after he lost the first set tiebreak 7-5 when his forehand was called out on set point despite replays suggesting it clipped the line.
Davydenko, a semi-finalist at Barcelona last month, recovered from 3-0 down in the second set to win six of the next seven games with a combination of deft drop shots and the occasional precise lob.
In the other quarterfinals, Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela plays Belgian Christophe Rochus and Italian Andreas Seppi faces Richard Gasquet, the French teenager who upset Federer at the Monte Carlo Masters last month. #
Results (quarterfinals): Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) bt Filippo Volandri (ITA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4; Roger Federer (SUI) bt Guillermo Coria (ARG) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
Mauresmo in semis
ROME: Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo overpowered Conchita Martinez to storm into the semifinals of the Rome Masters on Friday.
The French second seed had too much in her armoury for the 33-year-old Spanish veteran and wrapped up a trouble-free 6-1, 6-2 victory over the four-time Rome champion in 59 minutes.
Mauresmo will face Vera Zvonareva in the last four after the Russian sixth seed beat unseeded Italian Francesca Schiavone 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) in a fractious quarter-final.
Zvonareva, who lost to Mauresmo in last year’s semi-final here, questioned many line calls and applauded ironically when Schiavone hit several winners, making her extremely unpopular with the home crowd.
Schiavone, who has failed to beat Zvonareva in three attempts, failed to repeat her second round heroics when she beat reigning Australian Open champion and number three seed Serena Williams.
Mauresmo said a positive start was the key to beating Martinez, who won the Rome title four years in a row from 1993 to 1996.
Mauresmo admitted she felt at home in the Italian capital, where she has reached the semi-finals six times in her eight appearances.
“I’ve always played well here,” she said. “Clay is one of my favourite surfaces and the atmosphere here is great, not just at the Foro Italico but also in the city. I feel good here, there’s a good feeling.”
Later Friday, top seed Maria Sharapova, who will become world number one for the first time if she wins the title here, faces Russian compatriot Elena Bovina, while Swiss eighth seed Patty Schnyder takes on Evgenia Linetskaya in the last quarter-final.
The clay court Rome Masters is a warm-up event for the French Open, which starts on May 23.
Results (quarterfinals): Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Elena Bovina (RUS x9) 6-2, 6-2; Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4); Amelie Mauresmo (FRA ) bt Conchita Martinez (ESP) 6-1, 6-2.—Agencies
|
|
|
|
