‘I couldn’t have had a better start’
FEDERER BEGINS QUEST FOR RECORD EIGHTH CROWN, MONFILS, KOHLSCHREIBER, BAUTISTA-AGUT ALSO WIN
even-time champion Roger Federer took his first step towards a record eighth crown with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Benoit Paire at the Dubai Tennis Championships yesterday.
Going into their fourth meeting with a clear 3-0 career record against the Frenchman, Federer took just 53 minutes to send his 27-year-old opponent packing and set a second round meeting with the winner of today’s match between Mikhail Youzhny and qualifier Evgeny Donskoy, tomorrow.
Seeded No 3 here, Federer said: “There were some break points to be saved, and, I think I returned very well for a first round. The serve in the beginning was a bit off maybe, but I think also playing at night here for the first time it’s always just a different ball when you toss it up with the lights and everything. So that’s going to get better as I progress.
“I didn’t have to move that much as it was very quick rallies. So we’ll see how that’s going to turn out. But obviously couldn’t be a better first round for me here in Dubai.”
Federer broke for the first time in the fourth game and then held for 4-1. Paire asked for on-court treatment for his heavily-strapped ankle at this stage, but that did not deter the former World No 1 as he broke a second time in the sixth to serve out the set 6-1 in 27 minutes.
In the second set, both players held serves for the first four games till Federer forced a string of unforced errors from his opponent to break him in the fifth and held to go 4-2 clear. From then on, it was business as usual for Federer as he wrapped things up quickly.
Making his 13th appearance since 2002, Federer was glad to be back in Dubai. “It’s nice as you’re warming up you hear the crowd already as they’re getting pumped up by someone. You hear music and hear the roars. Then when you walk out, I don’t know, it’s a nice feeling to have. You know, it’s mutual, because I missed playing here last year,” Federer said.
In a later game, fourth seed Gael Monfils of France played a sedate role in his 6-4, 6-3 win over Egyptian wild card Mohammad Safwat. It was Monfils’s patience paying off against a crafty opponent as he managed his first and lone break of the set to take the opening set 6-4 in 45 minutes. The second set went pretty much the same manner with the World No 199 from Egypt digging in deep.
“I was quite surprised with the tough fight he gave me tonight. I wasn’t expecting this. He was playing with his whole heart,” Monfils said.
Earlier on, Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber remained just two match wins away from reaching the 400 wins milestone after knocking out eighth seed Gilles Muller in straight sets. In another game, Sixth seed Roberto Bautista-Agut handed 20-year-old Karen Khachanov his sixth straight loss on the tour this season.
Kohlschreiber, a semi-finalist in 2014 and a quarter-finalist last year, improved his overall Dubai record to 9-7 and his career record against Muller to 2-0 with a 6-4, 7-6 (1) win. and his career record against Muller to 2-0 with a 6-4, 7-6 (1) win.