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| March 29, 2006 | Wednesday | Safar 28, 1427 |
Federer crushes Haas to reach 4th round
MIAMI, March 28: World number one Roger Federer posted his third win of the season over Tommy Haas with a 6-1, 6-3 victory into the fourth round of the ATP and WTA hardcourt tennis tournament on Monday. The Swiss top seed unleashed his majestic game at the expense of the former world number two, who also lost to Federer at Doha and the Australian Open.
Federer, with childhood hero Boris Becker watching from the stands, needed just 68 minutes to book his place in the next round.
Federer is aiming for his 10th ATP Masters Series shield and his second consecutive title after beating James Blake for the Pacific Life Open trophy this month.
Briton Tim Henman was stunned by unheralded German qualifier Simon Greul 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 while 2004 winner Andy Roddick, seeded fourth, defeated Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4.
Henman looked in command after sweeping the opening set in 18 minutes as the 24-year-old Greul, a first-round winner over Paradorn Srichaphan, won just four points.
The momentum shifted in the second set when the 130th-ranked Greul, who missed four months in 2003 with an ankle injury, asserted his game.
Playing in his first Masters Series tournament, the German baffled Henman as he levelled at a set apiece, then recovered from a break down in the third to complete the upset.
Blake defeated Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to continue a purple patch which guided him to the Pacific Life Open final earlier this month.
Women’s fourth seed Maria Sharapova survived a scare before she booked her place in the quarterfinals. She needed five match points before overcoming fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Former Wimbledon champion Sharapova avenged her defeat by Kirilenko in Beijing last September despite producing 43 unforced errors.
Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova earned a walkover into the quarterfinals after seventh seed Patty Schnyder withdrew with an ankle problem.
There were also victories for France’s Tatiana Golovin, who put out sixth seed Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-1 and former Roland Garros winner Anastasia Myskina, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Russian compatriot Anna Chakvetadze 6-3, 6-2.
Monday’s results:
Men’s singles:
Third round: 32-Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) bt Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) 6-3, 7-6 (6-3); 29-Olivier Rochus (Belgium) bt 7-Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 6-4, 6-3; 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt 27-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-1, 6-3; 11-David Ferrer (Spain) bt 19-Sebastien Grosjean (France) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; 4-Andy Roddick (US) bt 31-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-3, 6-4; 9-James Blake (US) bt 23-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Simon Greul (Germany) bt Tim Henman (Britain) 0-6, 6-1, 7-5; Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) bt 24-Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.
Women’s singles:
Fourth round: 5-Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 6-2, 6-0; 1-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt 14-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia and Montenegro) 7-5, 6-2; 10-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) bt Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) 6-3, 6-2; Jie Zheng (China) bt Jill Craybas (US) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; 22-Tatiana Golovin (France) bt 6-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-2, 6-1; 4-Maria Sharapova (Russia) bt 20-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; 21-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt 32-Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-7 (4-6), 6-3, 6-2; 12-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt 7-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) —- walkover.—Reuters
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