Federer defeats Fognini to make it to quarter-finals
PARIS:ROGER Federer made a comfortable start to his quest for a 100th title, despatching Fabio Fognini in straight sets to ease into the quarter-finals at the Paris Masters on Thursday.
The 37-year-old Swiss had only made a late decision to compete in Bercy after winning his 99th title in his home town Basel on Sunday but, despite a touch of raggedness, was sharp enough to outclass the Italian 6-4, 6-3 in his opening match.
Federer’s procession came after Novak Djokovic celebrated his return to the summit of world tennis with an even easier stroll into the last eight after Damir Dzumhur had to retire injured in the second set of their third round clash.
Federer’s return to Bercy for the first time in three years delighted his vast Parisian fan club, who gave him a standing ovation that clearly moved the 20-time grand slam winner.
The Swiss was not at his regal best against the flamboyant Fognini, who calls Federer “the king of tennis”, but then he did not need to be. “Not bad,” was how the Swiss rated his display.
He broke twice in the first five games, prompting the explosive Fognini to hurl down his racket in disgust, but the Italian did claw a break back before the 2011 Paris champion made slightly heavy weather of serving out the set.
After some erratic tennis in the second set, Federer completed the routine job with a fourth break of serve to wrap up a 73-minute win but knows it will all be much harder in the last eight against Kei Nishikori, who beat Kevin Anderson.
In a repeat of Sunday’s Vienna Open final, the in-form Japanese Nishikori gained impressive revenge for his defeat by beating the South African 6-4, 6-4.
KHACHANOV HAMMERS AILING ZVEREV
PARIS: Russia’s Karen Khachanov demolished fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-1, 6-2 on Friday to power into the Paris Masters semi-finals as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer attempted to set-up a blockbuster last-four clash.
Khachanov, the winner at last month’s Kremlin Cup in Moscow, will now meet Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem who knocked out defending champion Jack Sock, the 16th-seeded American, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Four-time Paris champion Djokovic takes on Marin Cilic in his quarter-final later on Friday, while Federer will meet Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
Djokovic will replace Rafael Nadal as the world’s top player on Monday after a two-year absence.
World No 18 Khachanov saved two match points against John Isner in the last 16 but needed just over an hour to dispatch an out-of-sorts Zverev, who dropped his serve six times in eight games.
Khachanov, 22, shrugged off complaints from Zverev over noise coming from the Russian player’s box during the match. “When you are playing and you are losing sometimes, you just get a little bit frustrated and upset,” said Khachanov, who has reached the last-four of a Masters for the second time after a semi-final run in Toronto this summer.
GARCIA SAYS ‘CAN DO BETTER’ NEXT YEAR
ZHUHAI, CHINA: Caroline Garcia has revealed she feels under pressure to bring a grand slam trophy back to France, and believes she “can do better” after a difficult season.
Although the 22-year-old spent almost the whole year in the top 10, she slipped down the rankings in October. Asked if she feels a weight of expectation from her home country, the world No 18 told AFP: “There are always these kind of things and it’s been like this for a long time. There’s already some pressure, because they always want you to win. I think I can do better, and it’s something I wanted to improve this year. I couldn’t do it but maybe next year.”
MUGURUZA THROUGH TO ZHUHAI SEMIS
ZHUHAI,CHINA:FORMER world No 1 Garbine Muguruza survived three match points against second seed Anastasija Sevastova to clinch a place in the semi-finals of the WTA Elite Trophy in China on Friday. The two-time grand slam winner from Spain won her final round-robin match — effectively a playoff for a semifinal spot — 6-7, 6-2, 7-6.