Federer rewinds years, on cusp of equalling best start
INDIAN WELLS UNITED STATES : Roger Federer defeated Jeremy Chardy of France 7-5, 6-4 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, and at 15-0 the topranked men’s player is off to his best start since 2006.
The 36-year-old Swiss superstar can equal his season-best start of 16-0 with a win in the quarterfinals, where he will meet Chung Hyeon of South Korea in a rematch of their Australian Open semifinal. “This might be the last day, so we’ll see,” Federer said, smiling. “Don’t jinx it.”
THE LAST TIME
He advanced to the final in Melbourne when Chung retired in the second set trailing 6-1, 5-2 because of blisters on his left foot. Federer went on to win a five-set final against Marin Cilic for his 20th Grand Slam title.
Chung, seeded 23rd at Indian Wells, beat 30th-seeded Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-1, 6-3.
Since his Grand Slam breakthrough Down Under, Chung has been on a roll. He’s reached the quarterfinals or better in four of five tournaments and improved to 15-5 this year.
Federer is chasing a record sixth title in the desert.
SIMONA HALEP ENTERS SEMI-FINALS
World No. 1 Simona Halep punched her ticket to the Indian Wells semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win over Croatia’s Petra Martic. The 26-year-old Halep improved to 18-1 in the season and is looking to win her second WTA Tour title of 2018.
Halep, of Romania, needed two hours and 23 minutes yesterday to put Martic away under taxing conditions as strong winds swirled around the main stadium court.
“It was difficult conditions to play in today because of the wind,” she said. “It was tough to play, because the ball was really moving.
“But I just tried everything. I tried also to push a little bit the ball and then to hit it. I tried to mix it up. Was not easy at all. For both of us it was difficult.”
Halep moves on to the semi-finals where she will face Japan’s Naomi Osaka who beat fifthseeded Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-3.
Halep is guaranteed to hold onto her No. 1 ranking at the end of this event after world number two Caroline Wozniacki was eliminated on Tuesday.
Halep blasted two aces and broke Martic’s serve four times. “I just fought and that’s maybe why I won because I refuse to lose,” Halep said.