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Sport

Federer serves up Fritz blitz to reach Australian Open last 16

Federer

Melbourne (Australia), Jan 18, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Roger Federer celebrated his 100th match at the Australian Open on Friday by giving young American Taylor Fritz a centre court schooling to reach the last 16.

Six-time champion Federer was in devastating touch against the talented 21-year-old, breaking him four times while not giving an inch on serve in the 6-2 7-5 6-2 master class at Rod Laver Arena.

The third seed, bidding for a third straight title at Melbourne Park, reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for a record-extending 63rd time in the professional era.

The former world number one will take on Greek young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the quarter-finals as he continues his quest for a 21st Grand Slam title. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Ese E. Ekama

 

Sport

Federer fends off British qualifier Evans to reach Australian Open third round

Federer

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 16, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Double defending champion Roger Federer weathered a stern test from the impressive Dan Evans but wore down the British qualifier 7-6(5) 7-6(3) 6-3 to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Having thrashed Denis Istomin in his Melbourne Park opener, third seed Federer encountered far stiffer resistance against the determined world number 189.

Evans, who is rebuilding his career after missing a year due to a doping suspension, didn’t make things easy for Federer.

He broke Federer for the first time in the tournament to drag the second set into a tiebreak but the Swiss was supreme on the clutch points at Rod Laver Arena.

He broke Evans in the fourth game of the third set and closed out the match with an imperious backhand winner down the line.

Federer will now meet either Gael Monfils or Taylor Fritz in the third round. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Ese E. Ekama

Sport

Australian Open: Federer serves up dominant first round win against Istomin

Federer
Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 14, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Defending champion Roger Federer served straight through Denis Istomin to win their first round encounter at the Australian Open, securing a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory on Monday evening.

Istomin, of Uzbekistan, has twice reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam, and proved to be a worthy combatant from the back-of-the-court, equipped by a heavy, aggressive baseline game.

But the Swiss’ mountainous serve proved too big an obstacle for his opponent to climb, which meant the title contender was rarely challenged on his own service games.

Federer will now play British qualifier Dan Evans, ranked 189 in the world, in the second round.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Djokovic, Federer, Serena remain favourites to win opening Grand Slam

Djokovic, Federer, Serena remain favourites to win opening Grand Slam
Favourites
By Kayode Adebiyi
Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 9, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Novak Djokovic and Rogerer Federer loom over Melbourne Park for the year’s opening Grand Slam as favourites for the Australian Open as questions remain as to whether younger players could finally end their stranglehold.
The Serbian world number one and his Swiss opponent have won eight of the nine titles on Rod Laver Arena since 2010 and 11 of the last 13 on the bright blue courts in central Melbourne.
Both have six titles each, and are seeking to break a three-way tie for the most victories with Australia’s Roy Emerson.
While Federer has won the tournament for the last two years, Djokovic’s history in Australia means the world number one will be the man to beat.
The 31-year-old went into a bewildering slump in mid-2016 that only ended when he won Wimbledon last year.
He then went on to claim his third U.S. Open crown and move to 14 Grand Slam titles, three behind Rafa Nadal.
The Spanish world number two, however, is battling another leg injury that forced him out of the Brisbane International last week.
While he told local media on Tuesday that he did not feel any pain from his thigh strain, it is apparent that hard courts are putting undue stress on the 32-year-old’s body.
He retired in the quarter-finals against Marin Cilic last year in Melbourne and suffered yet another knee injury that forced him out of the U.S. Open semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.
Federer, however, continues to defy the odds at 37 and prepared for his title defence with some convincing performances in the Hopman Cup in Perth last week.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner’s victories over Greece’s world number 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas and world number four Alexander Zverev prompted the German to playfully quip that he was tired of Federer winning everything.
“I mean, you’re 30-whatever. Why? Just why?” Zverev asked jokingly of Federer at the Hopman Cup trophy presentation.
The 21-year-old Zverev appears the most likely of the younger generation of players hoping to end the world’s top three’s domination of Grand Slams.
He beat Federer and Djokovic at the ATP Tour Finals in London last November.
While others in ‘Generation Next’ like Austria’s Dominic Thiem and the 22-year-old Russians Karen Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev could cause upsets, it is debatable whether they can upstage the veterans.
Two of the older generation who have shown they do have that ability — Britain’s Andy Murray and Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka — could be dangerous floaters in the draw.
Murray, a five-time finalist at Melbourne Park, spent most of last year recuperating from hip surgery and looked rusty last week in Brisbane but declared himself pain free.
Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, is also coming back from knee surgery and a back injury in the second half of 2018.
However, he typically flies under the radar through Grand Slams and unlikely to have any pressure, which makes him more lethal.
The women’s draw looks more open even with Serena Williams, the most dominant force in the sport, back chasing a 24th grand slam singles title to tie Margaret Court’s all-time record.
The American was eight weeks pregnant when she won her 23rd title at Melbourne Park in 2017 and returned to action last year where she reached finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Williams, who played at the Hopman Cup in Perth, enters the year’s first grand slam ranked 16th but she still remains the favourite in Melbourne.
World number one Simona Halep, with a massive burden off her shoulders, will hope to go one better this year having lost the 2018 final to Caroline Wozniacki.
The Romanian broke her grand slam duck at the French Open in June last year and finished the season at number one for the second consecutive year.
Halep, who is without a coach since Australian Darren Cahill left for family reasons, will expect her back to hold up in competition after a herniated disk curtailed her 2018 season.
Wozniacki also had a question mark over her fitness after the 28-year-old Dane revealed her battle with rheumatoid arthritis last October but had since claimed that she had learnt to live with it.
A second Australian Open title will be a perfect birthday gift for world number two Angelique Kerber, who turns 31 in the first week of the tournament.
Kerber beat Wiliams in the Wimbledon final to become the first German woman to win the grass court title since Steffi Graf in 1996.
She had looked sharp at the Hopman Cup and maintained her 100 per cent singles record even though Germany lost to Federer’s Switzerland in the final.
Kerber had replaced coach Wim Fissette with 2003 Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler and a more aggressive approach could be the hallmark of the new partnership.
Also in the mix is the popular Osaka, who stunned Williams in New York.
The 21-year-old Japanese, however, had an inconsistent build up to the year’s first grand slam.
Osaka suffered a straight set loss to Lesia Tsurenko in the semi-final of the Brisbane International and withdrew from the Sydney International in frustration. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Salif Atojoko
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Sport

Hopman Cup: Federer guides Switzerland to 2-1 triumph over Germany

Federer
Perth (Australia), Jan. 5, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Roger Federer geared up for his Australian Open title defence in convincing fashion, guiding Switzerland to a 2-1 triumph over Germany on Saturday for their fourth Hopman Cup crown.

Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber 4-0 1-4 4-3(4) in the deciding mixed doubles rubber.

It helped them to secure the trophy at the Perth Arena, in a repeat of last year’s title clash.

The world number three earlier stamped his authority as a firm favourite for the season’s first major, firing 24 winners and nine aces.

It was a flawless 6-4 6-2 win over ATP Finals champion Zverev.

Kerber too maintained her 100 percent singles record with a 6-4 7-6(6) victory over Bencic to level the tie at 1-1, but the Germans failed to make the most of their opportunities.

They therefore went down in the tight mixed doubles rubber.

“I’m happy I’m feeling this good and playing as well as I am,” said Federer, who has won the last two Australian Open titles after taking part in the mixed-team event.

Federer had beaten Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie and Zverev in straight sets and will be full of confidence heading into Melbourne Park later this month.

“It’s good to finish on a singles performance like this. I’m a bit surprised the matches have gone as well as they have,” the 37-year-old added.

It was Federer’s third title success in the Hopman Cup following victory in 2001 alongside then world number one Martina Hingis and last year’s success with Bencic.

Switzerland’s first win in the competition was secured by Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere and Jakob Hlasek in 1992.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Unseeded Millman sends Federer crashing out, Sharapova also ousted

Federer

New York (U.S.), Sept. 4, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Roger Federer made a shock exit from the U.S. Open on Monday after the five-times champion was beaten 3-6 7-5 7-6(7) 7-6(3) by unseeded Australian John Millman in the round of 16.

Millman advanced to a quarter-final match-up against sixth seed Novak Djokovic.

Earlier, there was also an upset in the women’s game. Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro celebrated her 30th birthday in style at the U.S. Open by beating Russian Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-3 to book her place in the quarter-finals.

Millman, ranked 55th in the world, was dominated by Federer in the first set but turned the tables on the Swiss to take the second then held his nerve through two tiebreaks to secure the win in three hours and 34 minutes.

The Australian said he froze in the first set but was able to take control by relying on his fighting qualities.

“Felt like a deer in the headlights to begin with, to be honest,” he said courtside.

“I’ve got to control the controllable and the one thing I can control is the fight in me. I’ve always brought the fight up.”

Second seed Federer, who had not dropped a set in his first three matches in New York, had 77 unforced errors and 10 double faults and landed just 49 percent of his first serves.

Millman said the victory had yet to sink in.

“I’m probably in a little bit of disbelief. I have so much respect for Roger and everything he’s done for the game,” he added. “He’s a hero of mine. Today he was not at his best but I’ll take it.”

Sharapova, the 2006 champion, had never lost a night session match in New York prior to her first Grand Slam meeting with Suarez Navarro.

“Thank you so much guys,” Suarez Navarro said courtside after being wished happy birthday by the crowd. “It’s the first time I’ve played this year at night.

“I’m very happy because I played a good match.”

Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova paid the price for 38 unforced errors and won less than half of her first serve points while committing eight double faults.

“I didn’t take care of the chances that I had,” the Russian told reporters.

“By chances, I mean the balls that were a little bit shorter.

Suarez will meet last year’s runner up Madison Keys in the quarters and knows she will be the underdog against the 14th seeded American.

“It will be a really tough match. She is from the United States so the crowd will probably help her,” Suarez Navarro added. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

Federer downs Mannarino to stay in hunt for ninth Wimbledon title

Victory

London, July 9, 2018 (Reuters/NAN)  Champion Roger Federer’s pursuit of a record ninth Wimbledon title gathered momentum on Monday as he reached the quarter-finals with a 6-0 7-5 6-4 win over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

Federer was in blinding form during the first set, which blazed by in 16 minutes.

But after the Swiss missed four break points in the opening game of the second set, Mannarino made more of a match of it.

The world number 26 became the first man to reach break points against the 36-year-old at the All England Club this year.

However, he failed to convert any of them as Federer made it to at least the last eight of the grasscourt major for the 16th time.

He will next play either another Frenchman, Gael Monfils, or South African eighth seed Kevin Anderson. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

Federer delivers shot-making masterclass to reach round three

Wimbledon Open

London, July 4, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Roger Federer was back making a style statement with his dazzling tennis as he gave Lukas Lacko a 6-4 6-4 6-1 dressing down to reach the third round on Wednesday.

It came two days after the top seed created a stir at Wimbledon with his new mega-bucks clothing deal.

The Swiss champion was at his breath-taking best as he crafted 48 exquisite winners during a 90-minute match.

In fact, it seemed more an exhibition of his shot-making than a charge towards a record ninth Wimbledon title.

When Federer turned up to defend his crown in 2013, he suffered a shock second-round humbling by Sergiy Stakhovsky.

There was no danger of a repeat performance against Slovakia’s Lacko, however, and a forehand swish on match point gave the top seed a 26th consecutive set at the grasscourt major.

Federer will face either Croatian Ivo Karlovic or Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff for a place in the fourth round. (Reuters/NAN)

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Sport

Tennis: Clinical Federer beats Kudla to set up Coric final in Halle

Halle Open

Halle (Germany), June 23, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Defending champion Roger Federer extended his unbeaten run on grass to 20 matches by defeating American qualifier Denis Kudla 7-6(1) 7-5 on Saturday.

He thus set up a Halle Open final with young Croatian Borna Coric.

The pair exchanged early breaks in overcast conditions before top-seeded Federer stamped his authority by winning the tiebreak 7-1, ending Kudla’s 10-set winning streak this week.

Playing his eighth match in less than two weeks, the 36-year-old Federer seemed clearly fatigued but showed great mental strength to save five break points in the second set.

A lapse of concentration from Kudla in the 11th game allowed Federer to grab the only break point on offer before the Swiss served out the match.

“Denis has played an excellent tournament and made it difficult for me,” Federer said. “So I am of course very glad to have made it.”

Nine-time Halle champion Federer has reached his 12th final on German grass, and will next face 34th ranked Coric, who will make his first final appearance of the season.

The 21-year-old Coric, who defeated second seed Alexander Zverev earlier this week, advanced after playing just five games of his semi-final against Robert Bautista Agut.

The Spaniard was forced to retire after an unfortunate slip, with Coric serving at 2-3.

Federer, who must win a record-extending 10th title in Halle to remain at the top of the world rankings, holds a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over Coric. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Felix Ajide

 

Sport

Federer closes in on world number one ranking

NAN-S-

Close

Rotterdam (Holland), Feb. 15, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Roger Federer is one win from becoming the oldest world number one in ATP Tour history after beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(8) 7-5 in the last 16 of the Rotterdam Open on Thursday.

The 36-year-old needs to reach the semi-finals to overtake Rafael Nadal at the top of the rankings and reclaim the world number one ranking for the first time since November 2012.

Kohlschreiber, 34, had not beaten Federer in 12 attempts but on his own service game proved a tough opponent for the Swiss, pushing him all the way to a first set tiebreak.

The German even had two set points but could not convert them as Federer rallied and placed a forehand perfectly beyond Kohlschreiber to take the lead in the match after 54 minutes.

The second set followed a similar pattern but with Kohlschreiber, ranked 36 in the world, more attuned to Federer’s serve and improving his return rate.

He still had to save four break points without getting close himself to threatening the Australian Open champion’s serve.

Kohlschreiber’s resistance was finally breached in the 11th game as 20-times grand slam winner Federer overpowered his opponent and went on to comfortably serve out the set.

Federer would surpass American Andre Agassi as the oldest world number one if he wins his next match in Rotterdam and he would also set another record of the longest gap between periods as number one.

He already holds the record for most weeks spent at number one, having topped the rankings for a combined 302 weeks. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Yusuf Zango