Federer on brink of surpassing Agassi
One more victory in Rotterdam will make Swiss maestro the oldest No.1 male player in the world
>> ROTTERDAM: Roger Federer is within touching distance of becoming the oldest male to reach the top of the world rankings after marching into the quarter-finals of the ABN AMRO tournament.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion went through after making it 13 wins in as many matches against Philipp Kohlschreiber with a 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 triumph against his German opponent on Thursday.
One more victory at the indoor tournament in Rotterdam will ensure the 36-year-old Federer leapfrogs his old rival Rafael Nadal at the top of the world rankings.
He would also then become the oldest No.1 male player, surpassing Andre Agassi, who holds the record at 33 years and 133 days.
“It was extremely complicated tonight,” said Federer. “I couldn’t find my range or rhythm. I think Philipp did that to me, it was a struggle.
“Today when the score was close I couldn’t release my shots so it was quite a battle. It was quite a relief at the end.”
Federer, the 2005 and 2012 ABN AMRO champion, next meets home favourite Robin Haase, who beat compatriot Tallon Griekspoor 6-4 6-0.
Grigor Dimitrov, Andreas Seppi, David Goffin, Tomas Berdych, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev also reached the quarter-finals.
Second seed Dimitrov outlasted Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 to progress. Dimitrov has now reached a second straight quarter-final in the Dutch city, advancing with 13 aces and saving all four break points he faced.
The Bulgarian was to face Andrey Rublev later yesterday after the 20-year-old Russian struggled for nearly two hours before finally seeing off Damir Dzumhur 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
Rublev, the world No.34, forced his Bosnian opponent to save 10 of 15 break points while he saved nine of 13.
Russian Medvedev joined his compatriot in the last eight by beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
The two-and-a-quarter-hour contest featured 13 aces from the loser and just four from the winner.
WOZNIACKI FURY
An irritated world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki progressed to the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Thursday in a feisty match where she complained and apparently mocked her opponent Monica Niculescu’s grunting.
The recently crowned Australian Open champion won 7-5, 6-1 against the Romanian — who had knocked out Maria Sharapova in a previous round — but was visibly agitated in the ninth game of the first set, complaining her opponent was making noises as the Dane was about to hit the ball.
Wozniacki was so upset about the sounds coming from the other side of the net that she complained to French umpire Emmanuel Joseph.
“It isn’t in the rule book that you are not allowed to grunt when the opposing player hits?” courtside microphones caught her asking Joseph.
The umpire said he thought everything was “regular”, but Wozniacki added: “It’s the only way she can win.” She then mimicked the grunts. The spat overshadowed a relatively routine victory for the 27-year-old.
She was to play a former Australian Open champion, Angelique Kerber, in the last eight later yesterday.
The German came from a set down to beat Johanna Konta 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
The woman Wozniacki beat in Melbourne, Simona Halep, is also through beating Anastasija Sevastova 6-4, 6-3, keeping alive the possibility of a replay of the Australian Open final. “I’m really glad that I could finish it in two sets and play like I played,” said Halep.
The world No.2 will play 18-yearold American qualifier Catherine Bellis in the last eight, who beat defending champion and world No.5 Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
It is the first time the teenager has beaten anyone ranked in the top five.
“I think it’s definitely a milestone. It’s great,” she said.
Garbine Muguruza, world No.4, breezed through beating Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-4 and will play France’s Caroline Garcia in the next round.
And a resurgent Petra Kvitova beat world No.3 Elina Svitolina 6-4, 7-5 to set up a quarter-final clash with another top-10 player, Germany’s Julia Goerges.