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| October 28, 2006 | Saturday | Shawwal 4, 1427 |
Home favourite Federer strolls into quarter-finals
BASEL, Oct 27: Roger Federer's bid for a maiden hometown title moved another step closer to reality when he crushed Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-0 in the second round of the Swiss Indoors on Thursday.
The world number one next plays another Spaniard, fifth seed David Ferrer, in the quarter-finals.
Garcia-Lopez elected to concentrate on Federer's backhand but the tactic was ruthlessly exploited as the Swiss sprayed the ball around the court at will to seal victory in 52 minutes.
World number 15 Ferrer advanced with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Czech Jiri Novak, the 2004 champion.
The Spaniard has lost all four previous meetings with Federer.
Argentine second seed David Nalbandian remained on course to play Federer in the final after winning a tough match with Spain's Feliciano Lopez.
The world number three came from behind to triumph 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 and set up a meeting with Swiss number two Stanislas Wawrinka.
Federer's Davis Cup team mate had earlier ended Tim Henman's hopes of a third Basel title.
The British number two, who won here in 1998 and 2001, lost 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Holder Fernando Gonzalez survived another gruelling encounter to take his place in the last eight.
Taken to three tiebreaks by Italian Simone Bolelli in the first round on Wednesday, the third seed from Chile needed more than two and a half hours to oust American Mardy Fish 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.
Thursday’s results:
Second round: 2-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-6 (9-7); 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-2, 6-0; 5-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Tim Henman (Britain) 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat George Bastl (Switzerland) 6-3, 6-2; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat 9-Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-4, 6-3; 7-Jose Acasuso (Argentina) beat Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 7-6 (7-1), 6-1; 3-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Mardy Fish (US) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-6 (10-8).
HAAS OUSTED
ST PETERSBURG (Russia): Fourth seed Tommy Haas became the latest high-profile casualty at the St Petersburg Open when the German lost 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 to wildcard Igor Kunitsyn in the second round on Thursday.
With the match evenly poised at 2-2 in the third set, the 128th-ranked Russian claimed the last four games to secure the biggest win of his career.
Third seed Mario Ancic advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over unseeded Dutchman Raemon Sluiter.
Holder Thomas Johansson of Sweden progressed when seventh-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny withdrew from their match after injuring his ankle in a doubles encounter on Wednesday.
Johansson, who also won the title in 1997, will face South Africa's Wesley Moodie in the last eight.
Moodie also went through by default after top seed Nikolay Davydenko retired from Wednesday's second-round match with a foot injury.
Thursday’s results:
Second round: Max Mirnyi (Belarus) beat Andrei Pavel (Romania) 6-3, 7-5; Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) beat 4-Tommy Haas (Germany) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2; Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) beat Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 6-4, 6-4; 3-Mario Ancic (Croatia) beat Raemon Sluiter (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-4; Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat 7-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) – walkover.
FRENCH ADVANCE
LYON (France): Fourth seed Richard Gasquet led the French charge at the Lyon International when he reached the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgian Dick Norman on Thursday.
Gasquet, who is the higest seed left in the tournament following the exits of Marcos Baghdatis, Gaston Gaudio and Dominik Hrbaty, was joined in the last eight by compatriots Sebastien Grosjean and Arnaud Clement.
Results:
Second round: 4-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Dick Norman (Belgium) 6-3, 6-4; Arnaud Clement (France) beat Michael Llodra (France) 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2); 6-Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Cyril Saulnier (France) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; 7-Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5); Robby Ginepri (US) beat Simon Greul (Germany) 6-1, 6-2.
SHARAPOVA STRETCHED
LINZ (Austria): Maria Sharapova withstood a strong first set from Greek qualifier Eleni Daniilidou before moving into the quarter-finals of the Linz Open with a 7-5, 6-1 victory on Thursday.
The top-seeded Russian, who will leapfrog Justine Henin-Hardenne to number two in the rankings if she reaches Sunday's final, showed little patience and made several careless errors against an enterprising opponent.
Sharapova will next play fifth-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic, who defeated Polish qualifier Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-2.
Results:
Second round: Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Mary Pierce (France) 4-6, 6-6 – Pierce retired; 3-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-3; 6-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2; 1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 7-5, 6-1; Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat 7-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) 6-4, 6-4; 5-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-2, 6-2.—Reuters
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