US Open gallery: men's draw, day 8
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Roger Federer made light work of No.14 seed Tommy Robredo, beating the Spaniard 7-5 6-2 6-2 to ease into the US Open quarter-finals.
The defending champion went into the match with eight unanswered defeats against Robredo, but in the early stages of the match the world No.15 pushed the Swiss hard.
It wasn’t until the business end of the first set that Federer pulled clear, but after closing it out the world No.1 turned the screw on his opponent.
With both his forehand and backhand in ominous form, Federer played with greater freedom, producing a string of stunning lobs and winners against his increasingly desperate opponent.
“I was a little unsure there for a while, how I should play him. He was doing a good job of keeping me off balance and being intense from the baseline,” said Federer, who was on court for less than two hours. “So it was a key to get the break and not having to go through the tie-break.
“Once I got the lead I could also hit a bit more freely. That didn’t allow him to play his game any more. I got on top of him and played good tennis.”
Robin Soderling awaits Federer in the next round after the Swede saw Nikolay Davydenko call it quits midway through their fourth round match.
The Russian limped out with a thigh strain when Soderling took the third set for a 7-5 3-6 6-2 lead, leaving the Swede with his third successive grand slam showdown against Federer.
“I thought that he was moving pretty well. He’s a very fast guy, so I was a little bit shocked that he retired,” admitted French Open finalist Soderling, who had felt dizzy himself earlier in the match.
Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco will face off for the other top-half semi-final spot. Verdasco ended American hopes in the men’s singles, beating John Isner 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 and ensuring that there would be no US involvement in the quarter-finals in New York for the first time in 129 years.
Isner, who knocked out compatriot Andy Roddick in a fifth-set tie-break on Saturday, started well against the No10 seed Verdasco, but the Spaniard found a groove on return and overpowered the 6’9” American from the baseline.
“Sorry to beat the last one,” Verdasco said to the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd afterwards. “You can support me now if you want.”
Novak Djokovic went on a charm offensive after beating Radek Stepanek 6-1 6-3 6-3 in the night session.
Stepanek struggled with his serve and range throughout, having to take a time-out to put in his contact lenses, but was no match for the No.4 seed.
And after wrapping up the victory, Djokovic – who last year felt the full sting of the Flushing Meadows crowd after a running feud with Andy Roddick – won back the US fans with an impromptu knock with former champion turned commentator John McEnroe.
The four-time US Open champion arrived on court in a shirt and khakis but got to work at beating Djokovic at his own game – mimicking the Serbian’s penchant for bouncing the ball an inordinate amount of times before serving.
Djokovic, well-known for his mimicking skills, replied with an impersonation of the American’s service style, and even threw in a “you cannot be serious” when one shot missed the line, much to the delight of the US Open crowd.
“Johnny Mac made it all happen,” Djokovic said. “It wasn’t easy coming down in jeans and a shirt but he made it all fun.
“What I’ve done in 2007 with those impersonations and tonight playing with Johnny Mac, I think that’s what the crowd wants, especially in these hours. I think these night matches are very special.”
