Federer, Serena on form at US Open
Source: Agencies |
September 7, 2011, Wednesday
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ROGER Federer and Serena Williams beat the weather and their opponents to storm into the US Open quarterfinals on Monday and send an ominous warning to their rivals about their intentions for the last grand slam of the year.
It was just like old times for the greatest players of their generation as they turned in masterful displays on a day when Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki both toiled but survived.
Federer demolished Argentine baseliner Juan Monaco 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 in a fourth round clash that began just before midnight but ended before an approaching storm drenched Flushing Meadows.
Williams, playing during the day when the wind was blowing hard, breezed past Serbia's Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4 to close in on what could be the greatest achievement of her incredible career. "It's really important for me just to look at the mountain and keep climbing it," said Williams.
Djokovic also showed his fighting qualities to win a 30-point tiebreaker in his 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov to reach the last eight without dropping a single set. "It was certainly exciting to be part of it but I knew that I needed to win that set," he said.
There were no such problems for Federer, who reached his 30th straight grand slam quarterfinal with a breathtaking display that included four aces in a single game.
"I played very well," the Swiss said. "So it's up to me now to get on a good run for the end of the tournament."
Williams's ability to overcome adversity has helped make her the finest player of her era, and among the best of all time, but when doctors found a life-threatening blood clot on her lungs in March, winning the US Open was the last thing on the American's mind.
Yet here she is, riding high on emotion and with momentum building behind her.
"I think I'd like to say it's a bigger mountain like Everest ...(but) I don't ever want to get to the top of the mountain. I want to keep being able to reach something," she said.
Avenged
Williams's next opponent is Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who avenged her agonising loss to Italy's Francesca Schiavone at this year's French Open to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. It was sweet revenge for Pavlyuchenkova after she blew her chance of a first grand slam semifinals appearance when she lost to Schiavone in the quarters at Roland Garros after leading 6-1, 4-1.
"Of course I was thinking about it," Pavlyuchenkova said.
Djokovic's next opponent is his Davis Cup teammate Janko Tipsarevic, who beat former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 in a slugfest that lasted almost four hours.
"It means there's going to be at least one Serbian in the semi-finals, which is great for our country," Djokovic said.
The floodlit evening session was delayed by more than an hour and a half after 11th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga needed almost four hours to beat American eighth seed Mardy Fish 6-4, 6-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in an enthralling center court clash.
Tsonga's reward is a quarterfinal against Federer.
It was just like old times for the greatest players of their generation as they turned in masterful displays on a day when Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki both toiled but survived.
Federer demolished Argentine baseliner Juan Monaco 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 in a fourth round clash that began just before midnight but ended before an approaching storm drenched Flushing Meadows.
Williams, playing during the day when the wind was blowing hard, breezed past Serbia's Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4 to close in on what could be the greatest achievement of her incredible career. "It's really important for me just to look at the mountain and keep climbing it," said Williams.
Djokovic also showed his fighting qualities to win a 30-point tiebreaker in his 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov to reach the last eight without dropping a single set. "It was certainly exciting to be part of it but I knew that I needed to win that set," he said.
There were no such problems for Federer, who reached his 30th straight grand slam quarterfinal with a breathtaking display that included four aces in a single game.
"I played very well," the Swiss said. "So it's up to me now to get on a good run for the end of the tournament."
Williams's ability to overcome adversity has helped make her the finest player of her era, and among the best of all time, but when doctors found a life-threatening blood clot on her lungs in March, winning the US Open was the last thing on the American's mind.
Yet here she is, riding high on emotion and with momentum building behind her.
"I think I'd like to say it's a bigger mountain like Everest ...(but) I don't ever want to get to the top of the mountain. I want to keep being able to reach something," she said.
Avenged
Williams's next opponent is Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who avenged her agonising loss to Italy's Francesca Schiavone at this year's French Open to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. It was sweet revenge for Pavlyuchenkova after she blew her chance of a first grand slam semifinals appearance when she lost to Schiavone in the quarters at Roland Garros after leading 6-1, 4-1.
"Of course I was thinking about it," Pavlyuchenkova said.
Djokovic's next opponent is his Davis Cup teammate Janko Tipsarevic, who beat former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 in a slugfest that lasted almost four hours.
"It means there's going to be at least one Serbian in the semi-finals, which is great for our country," Djokovic said.
The floodlit evening session was delayed by more than an hour and a half after 11th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga needed almost four hours to beat American eighth seed Mardy Fish 6-4, 6-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in an enthralling center court clash.
Tsonga's reward is a quarterfinal against Federer.
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