Rogers Cup: Successful debut for Federer and Wawrinka - UBITENNIS

Rogers Cup: Successful debut for Federer and Wawrinka

By Staff
6 Min Read

TENNIS – Roger Federer needed just 52 minutes to sweep aside local favourite Peter Polansky to advance easily to the third round of the Toronto Master 1000. Federer is playing the Canadian Open for the first time since 2011. Diego Sampaolo

World Number 3 and seed number 2 Roger Federer got off to a comfortable start breaking serve in the first game of the opening set. Wild-card Polansky managed to keep pace with the Swiss Maestro until 2-2 in the first four games but since then Federer reeled off 10 consecutive games.

Federer, who won the Canadian Master 1000 Tournament twice in 2004 and 2006, converted all his six break point chances in this match.

It was perfect start to Federer’s US hard-court campaign after his loss against Novak Djokovic in a five-set battle in the fabulous Wimbledon final.

I started well and that is always helpful to play more freely.I could have served better at times but I feel that I was moving well already in practice. I didn’t feel so well hitting the ball yet.I wasn’t quite getting used to the surface and the last few days have been much better and I am happy that in the match it worked really well”, said Federer.

Federer, who celebrates his 33rd birthday on Friday, will take on the winner of the second round match between Number 15 seed Marin Cilic from Croatia and Malek Jaziri from Tunisia in the third round. Jaziri is a lucky loser as he has stepped into the Main Draw after Marinko Matosevic who pulled out of the tournament after a shoulder injury. The Tunisian player upset Spaniard Guillermo Garcia Lopez in straight sets with 6-4 7-6 (8-6).

This year Australian Open and Monte-Carlo champion Stan Wawrinka fought back from a set down to overcome a tough second round match against Frenchman Benoit Paire in three sets with 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-2).

After dropping a set for the third consecutive match against Paire, Wawrinka recovered to win the second set to force the match to the third set. Wawrinka got an early break in the third set but Paire broke back in the sixth game. Wawrinka survived a big scare when he saved a match point at 4-5 30-40 with an ace. Paire saved two break points in the next game but Wawrinka converted his first match point chance to close out the match after two hours and four minutes.

Wawrinka will face either Italian Fabio Fognini or South African Kevin Anderson in the third round. Fognini beat Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets with 6-4 6-3. The match between Fognini and Anderson went on serve until 4.3 for the Russian player when Fognini had to save a break point chance. Fognini broke serve in the next game for 5-4 and held serve in the final game of the first set to clinch the first set with 6-4. Fognini got a break in the opening game of the second set and held serve for 2-0. Youzhny did not give up and drew level to 2-2 but Fognini reeled off four consecutive games at 2-3 to set up the third round match against Anderson.

Frenchman Richard Gasquet, twice finalist at the Rogers Cup in 2006 and 2012, and 2013 Canadian Open semifinal Vasek Pospisil met for the second time in one week after their semifinal in Washington last week won by the Canadian player. Gasquet took a re-match against Pospisil in straight sets with 7-5 7-5 in one hour and 49 minutes. Gasquet broke last week’s Washington finalist Pospisil three times

Gasquet will take on Ivo Karlovic who rallied from a set down to beat Australian Bernard Tomic in three sets with 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (8-6) in one hour and 53 minutes.In a re-match of last month’s Bogota final won by Tomic Karlovic hit 39 aces and won 91 percent of his first serve points but Tomic prevailed in a hard-fought tie-break with 8-6.

Australian 18-year-old rising star Nick Kyrgios fought back from a break down in the first set to overcome Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 in one hour and 35 minutes in his first match since the Wimbledon quarter final last month. Kyrgios will face 2013 Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in the third round.

This year’s Roland Garros semifinalist Ernests Gulbis beat Joao Sousa from Portugal in straight sets with 6-3 6-4.

Donald Young rallied from a set down to edge Frank Dancevic in three sets with 5-7 6-0 6-3.

Jack Sock beat Jurgen Melzer 6-1 6-3 to set up a third round match against last week’s Washington champion Milos Raonic.

Leave a comment