October 27, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 14, 1428

BASEL (Switzerland), Oct 26: Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals of his hometown tournament on Thursday, brushing aside Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro 6-1, 6-4 in the Swiss Indoors second round.

After looking less than his daunting best in a wobbly opening-round win over Germany’s Michael Berrer on Tuesday, the world number one was in complete control against his teenage opponent.

The 19-year-old world number 49 was already 5-0 down before managing to hold his first service game.

Broken for the third time at the start of the second set, he then produced a minor stir by breaking Federer to level the set at 1-1.

But the Swiss simply upped his game, breaking back in front immediately before cruising through his remaining service games.

In the quarter-finals Federer faces Germany’s world number 64 Nicolas Kiefer who beat Austria’s Stefan Koubek 6-3, 6-2.

American fourth seed James Blake could not find a way past towering Croatian Ivo Karlovic, losing their second-round match 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Blake began brightly, taking the opening set with a single break of his opponent’s formidable serve. But Karlovic, the biggest man on the tour at six-foot ten, powered back to take the second set tiebreak before clinching the match with a break in the final game.

The Croatian world number 25, who has now won three out of four meetings with Blake, relied heavily on his favourite weapon, firing 24 aces to the American’s nine.

Karlovic now goes on to face Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals, after Berdych downed unseeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 7-5, 6-4.

The result hampers Blake’s chances of reaching the season-ending Masters Cup tournament in Shanghai, with next week’s Paris Masters offering the last chance for players to pick up qualifying points.

Currently 10th in the race for the tournament’s eight qualifying spots, the world number seven needed to reach at least the semi-finals in Basel to improve his placing.

Five of the eight qualifying berths for the Masters Cup are already accounted for with Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko and Andy Roddick through to the prestigious finale.

World number eight Fernando Gonzalez of Chile improved his prospects of joining them by booking a place in the Basel quarter-finals.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Second round: Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x2) bt Roko Karanusic (CRO) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5); Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt James Blake (US x4) 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Guillermo Canas (ARG x6) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; Tomas Berdych (CZE x5) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 7-5, 6-4; Nicolas Kiefer (GER) bt Stefan Koubek (AUT) 6-3, 6-2; Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Juan del Potro (ARG) 6-1, 6-4; Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA x8) bt Andrey Golubev (RUS) 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-1; Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Agustin Calleri (ARG) 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-3.

LJUBICIC PROGRESSES

LYON (France): Croatian Ivan Ljubicic kept alive his slim hopes of qualifying for the Masters Cup by beating France’s Thierry Ascione 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 in the second round on Thursday.

Holder Richard Gasquet of France saw the season-ending tournament fade away though after a 6-4, 6-4 defeat against compatriot Jo Wilfried Tsonga.

Gasquet said he felt pain in his knee and was doubtful for next week’s Paris Masters Series, where the last three spots for Shanghai will be up for grabs.

Big-serving Ljubicic, 14th in the ATP Race standings and 14 points behind eighth-placed German Tommy Haas, had to dig deep to beat Ascione.

However, he won the deciding tie break 7-5 with a service winner.

Haas pulled out before his first-round match because of gastro-enteritis and Spaniard Tommy Robredo, ninth in the Race, slumped to a first-round defeat in Lyon.

Results:

Second round: Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Fabrice Santoro (FRA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Gilles Simon (FRA x8) 7-5, 6-4; Olivier Rochus (BEL) bt Mardy Fish (US) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (17/15); Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x3) bt Thierry Ascione (FRA) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5); Alejandro Falla (COL) bt Oliver Marach (AUT) 6-2, 6-1; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x4) 6-4, 6-4.

BARTOLI IN LAST EIGHT

LINZ (Austria): Marion Bartoli overwhelmed Austrian Tamira Paszek 6-2, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Linz Open on Thursday and showed no ill effects from the knee injury that forced her to retire in Zurich last week.

She gave up just one point on serve in the first set, and after breaking to lead 3-2 her 16-year-old opponent’s brief challenge disintegrated.

Second seed Daniela Hantuchova was in buoyant mood after disposing of Argentina’s Gisela Dulko 6-3, 6-1.

One break decided the first set after Dulko double-faulted on game point and went on to lose her serve at 1-1. After Dulko held for 1-0 in the second set the Slovak took total control, surrendering just five more points.

Results:

Second round: Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x2) bt Gisela Dulko (ARG) 6-3, 6-1; Julia Vakulenko (UKR) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 6-0, 6-2; Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x5) bt Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-1, 6-3; Patty Schnyder (SUI x6) bt Alicia Molik (AUS) 6-4, 6-4; Alona Bondarenko (UKR) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-4, 6-3; Marion Bartoli (FRA x3) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-2, 6-1.

DAVYDENKO OUSTED

ST PETERSBURG: Top seed Nikolay Davydenko tumbled out of the St Petersburg Open in the second round, going down to Croatian qualifier Marin Cilic 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 on Thursday.

The Russian was cruising to a comfortable win after taking the first set in 27 minutes, but the 102nd-ranked Cilic broke the world number four late in the second to level the score before racing through the decider to record a memorable victory.

Earlier, defending champion Mario Ancic was sent packing by Russian third seed Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-2.

Results:

Second round: Potito Starace (ITA x4) bt Mikhail Ledovskikh (RUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Fernando Verdasco (ESP x6) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-4, 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x3) bt Mario Ancic (CRO) 6-4, 6-2; Andy Murray (GBR x2) bt Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) 6-2, 6-4; Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x1) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. –Agencies