The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Another stroll in the park for Federer
ROGER FEDERER took a look around as he entered the stadium court at the Miami Open, immediately feeling the energy of the crowd. He gave them quite a show. Federer advanced tothefourthroundatkeybiscayneonmonday, beatingjuanmartindelpotro6-3,6-4.federer, whowasfacingdelpotroforthefirsttimesince 2013, never lost serve and improved to 15-1 thisyear.hebrokedelpotrotwice,onceineach set, and that was all he needed.
“I feel like I earned it more,” said Federer, the2005and2006championonkeybiscayne. “I was more the aggressor. It was more my racket, and I like it that way.”
The first break put him up 5-3 in the first set,andthefourth-seededfedererthenfought off four break points in the ensuing game before closing out the set. Another break for a 32leadinthesecondset,notlongafterdelpotro got his oft-problematic left wrist taped on a changeover, put Federer in control. Serving at 4-3, Federer faced a break point — Argentine fans serenaded del Potro beforehand with “Ole! Ole! Ole!” — but escaped when a serve return sailed long.
“I did my best,” the 29th-seeded del Potro said. “He played well in the break-point moments and I think that was the only difference in the match.” It had the feel of a final, not a third-rounder on a Monday afternoon.
The stadium court, largely empty for the first two matches of the day, was filled — with huge roars greeting both players as they enteredforwarmups,manyfanswearinghatsor shirtswithfederer’s“rf”logo,manyotherseither donning Argentine soccer jerseys or carrying that nation’s flag in support of del Potro. “Itwasreallyagreat,niceatmosphere,”federer said. “It was a lot of pleasure playing in nice weather, great opponent, great crowd. What else do you need?”
The last seven Federer-del Potro matches comingintothismeetingallwentthedistance, withsomeclassics—the41/2-hour,three-setteratthe2012olympicsatwimbledonwhere Federer prevailed 19-17 in the third, Federer rallying from two sets down in the French Openquarterfinalsthatyear,anddelpotrowinning the 2009 US Open in five sets for his lone Grand Slam triumph.
Federer plays again Tuesday against 14thseeded Roberto Bautista Agut, who needed three sets to top Sam Querrey of the US Other third-round men's winners included topseeded Stan Wawrinka, eighth-seeded David Goffin, 10th-seeded Tomas Berdych, 12thseeded Nick Kyrgios, 16th-seeded Alexander Zverev and unseeded Adrian Mannarino.
Zverev’s match with John Isner of the U.S. lasted just over 2 1/2 hours and needed three tiebreakers — Zverev winning 6-7 (5), 7-6 (7), 7-6(5),savingthreematchpointsinthesecond set and rallying from a 4-1 deficit in the final breaker. Top-seeded Angelique Kerber made the women’s quarterfinals after beating Risa Ozaki 6-2, 6-2. Caroline Wozniacki also reachedthequarterswhengarbinemuguruza retired after the first set after feeling dizziness that she said was brought on by the heat. Wozniacki,the12thseed,tookthatsetoverthe sixth-seeded Muguruza 7-6 (1). “Happy to be in the quarters,” Wozniacki said. “I feel like I’m playing well.”