Fed issues warning over form
Swiss says he is better than ever
LONDON: It was expected to be the match of the round but Angelique Kerber ensured it never even became a contest.
The 2016 Australian Open winner routed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3, meaning she will be the only Grand Slam champion in the fourth round of the women’s draw.
Five-time major winner Sharapova was back at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2016, when a failed doping test led to a 15-month ban from tennis.
Sharapova advanced while seeded players fell in upsets in the first two rounds and was growing in confidence but had no answers for Kerber, who is on a 12-match winning streak in a kind of comeback of her own after a sliding down the rankings last year.
“I learned a lot from the last 12, 24 months. I had a great 2016 and last year was a little tougher,” Kerber said, reflecting on how her year-end ranking dropped from No. 1 to 21 when she failed to defend her Australian or US Open titles.
“Anybody who knows me knows I never
The Swiss sensation issued the warning after easily beating Richard Gasquet 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in just under two hours to reach the last 16 in Melbourne.
Federer won last year on his return after six months out with injury, with many assuming the 36-year-old was no longer a Grand Slam threat. But having seen off the Frenchman he claimed he was in much better shape than 12 months ago and ready to win Grand Slam No. 20.
“I had a good season last year,” Federer said.
“The off-season was fantastic too and my last match was not that long ago.
“I’m coming in this year very fit, very well equipped knowing that five sets are not an issue, whereas last year that was always the question mark.
“And with that question mark in mind there was always a tension there and I was carrying a groin injury for the last four or five matches because it was so intense.”
The Swiss has lost only twice to the stylish Frenchman in their 19 give up.” I know Maria is always fighting,” the German added.
“After the first set, I was trying not to think about the score, just going for it, trying to be aggressive and playing my game.
“And it works. It works from the beginning. meetings, winning all
Grand Slam encounters.
Significantly, Gasquet hasn’t won a set against Federer since 2011, a run of 22 sets to the Swiss.
“I was able to stay more on the offensive than he was and maybe I was protecting my own serve better than him,” Federer said.
“I was hoping I could play at that level. I’m very happy that I was able to rise to a level that I needed to beat Richard.
“It was tough. The score shows it, as well. I could have done it maybe a bit faster.
“At the same time I’m happy to have done it the way it happened. I was pleased. I think I had some good shots. I was happy the way I played. I also thought we both played a good level again, so it was fun.”
Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic played down injury concerns after he sought a medical timeout for a lower-back injury during his 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Spanish 21st seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
The former world No. 1 sought a medical timeout early in the second set for treatment.
Djokovic later played down the extent of the problem, saying: “It’s ok. Nothing major. I knew I wanted to use the medical timeout because I needed it,” he said.
“But at the same time I knew it was nothing major that can potentially raise a question mark on whether I can continue playing or not. It was fine.” their four
LONDON: Roger Federer has warned his rivals he is feeling fitter and more confident than this time last year when he shocked everyone to win his 18th Grand Slam title.
I’m happy about how I played tonight.”
Sharapova, who has improved every month since her return to the court following a ban for doping, admitted the better player had won and said Kerber was the more aggressive on court, and took more risks.
“I gave her the confidence by making a lot of errors on the return games,” Sharapova said.
“She’s a confident player at the moment. “A lot of things I need to get better at and improve on. Looking at the overall picture — the beginning of this year — there’s a lot to build from.”
Kerber is in scintillating form and has to be one of the favorites to go all the way and win in Melbourne. She won the lead-up Sydney International, and will face either Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska or Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei for a place in the quarterfinals.