Federer reaches quarters

FE Team | Published: September 05, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Top seed Roger Federer of Switzerland pumps his fist during his fourth round match against Feliciano Lopez of Spain at the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows, New York. — Photo: Internet

NEW YORK, Sept 4 (AFP): Top-ranked Roger Federer shook off a strong challenge Monday from Spain's Feliciano Lopez to reach a US Open quarter-final and Tommy Haas advanced in a five-set thriller with US sixth seed James Blake.
Federer, seeking a 12th Grand Slam title and fourth US Open crown in a row, outlasted the 60th-ranked Spanish left-hander 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 to book a date against US fifth seed Andy Roddick, whom he has beaten in 13 of 14 tries.
"It's a great record but it doesn't help me," Federer said. "We'll see how it goes. We've had some great battles over the years. Many went my way but it's a new day. Anything goes. We'll see what happens."
The 26-year-old Swiss star is trying to reach the finals of his 10th Slam in a row as he chases the all-time record of 14 Slam titles won by Pete Sampras, but for a while he had his hands full escaping the round of 16.
Lopez broke Federer in the fourth game of the match and claimed the first set in 25 minutes then fought level into the last game of set two, when Federer ripped a steller backhand winner and lob winner to break and even the match.
Federer fell behind 0-40 to open the third set, then won 13 of the next 14 points for a 3-0 lead, broke again in the sixth game and took the set in 23 minutes, then broke early in the fourth and cruised to victory in two hours.
German 10th seed Haas, forced to pull out of a fourth-round Wimbledon match with Federer due to a torn stomach muscle, saved three match points to oust Blake 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/4) after three hours 17 minutes.
Haas fired 18 aces and 69 winners to dispatch Blake and book a last-eight date with Russian fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko, who routed South Korean Lee Hyung-Taik 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 in just over two hours.
Blake, who won his first five-set triumph in 10 tries only four nights before, had three match points with Haas serving at 4-5 in the fifth set.
Haas, an Australian Open semi-finalist in January, saved the first with a forehand winner and the next two with service winners before hitting an ace and watching Blake hit a forehand wide to hold on the way to tie-break.