Match point ‘panic’ mode saves Federer
● Swiss battles through to face Thiem
Facing a match point on his second serve, Roger Federer decided it was time for a “panic move”. So he went into allout attack mode, charging to the net to try to avoid a disappointing end to his first claycourt tournament since 2016.
A lucky volley, followed by a smash winner, kept Fed - er erin the match against Gael Monfils. An aggressive fore hand two points later allowed him to save a second match point and he went on to beat the Frenchman 6- 0, 4-6, 7-6 (3) in the third round of the Madrid Open.
“I felt my chances were bigger at the net than from the baseline, so it was a desperation, panic move,” Federer said after wards. “I was very nervous, so I just figured, ‘come to the net, take a chance’, and it worked out.”
In only his second match on clay in three years, Federer rallied from three games down late in the third set and then dominated the deciding tiebreak to reach the quarterfinals in a match of more than two hours at the Magic Box centre court.
Federer will next face fifthseeded Dominic Thiem, who defeated Fabio Fognini 6-4, 7-5. The fifth-ranked Austrian is coming off titles in Barcelona and Indian Wells.
Fed er er has skipped the clay-court season for the last two years to remain fit for the rest of the year. The Madrid Open is his first clay tournament as he prepares to return to the French Op en after a three-year absence.
It was the 1,200 th career win for Fed er er, allowing him to join Jimmy Connors as the only male players to have reached that milestone in the Open Era.
Fed er er added :“I’ m not sure if I’ve lost a match before after winning the first set 6-0. The statistics show that usually you are in good shape. But with Gael you really never know. He really got into a great groove after that. He had great intensity. At the end I played a great tiebreak so I’m very relieved.”
Earlier, top-ranked Novak Djokovic reached the final eight by beating Jeremy Chardy 6-1, 7-6 (2). It was his 13 th consecutive win over Chardy, all in straight sets.
Djoko vic will next face Marin Cilic, who came from behind to beat Las lo Djere 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Also through to the quarter-finals are Stefanos Tsitsipas and Stan Wawrinka, who defeated sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori in two sets.
In the women’ s quarterfinals, world No 1 Naomi Osaka lost 3-6,6-2,7-5 to Belinda Bencic, falling to the Swiss for the second time this season.
Bencic will now face twotime Madrid champion Simona Halep, who defeated Ashleigh Barty 7-5, 7-5.
American Sloane Stephens got past Petra Martic in two sets to make it to her first Madrid Open semi-final.