TENNIS DUBAI – Andy Murray reeled off the first eight games of the match en route to sweeping aside Joao Sousa with 6-0 6-2 in just 57 minutes to reach the quarter finals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Murray did not face any break points and converted on five of his nine break point chances. Novak Djokovic cruised to a easy 6-1 6-2 win in just 61 minutes. Roger Federer recovered from a slow start to ease past Fernando Verdasco with 6-4 6-3. Diego Sampaolo
Dubai defending champion Roger Federer won all his five previous head-to-head matches against Fernando Verdasco dropping just one set. They have not met since their second round match at the 2012 US Open. Federer recovered from a slow start in the first five games in which he went down 1-4 by reeling off five consecutive games to love (20 consecutive points) to clinch the first set with 6-4. Verdasco broke serve in the second set and held serve to go up 3-0. Federer clawed his way into the match breaking back to love for 3-4. Federer got the second break to love to take the 5-4 lead. He reeled off 15 consecutive points to finish off the first set with 6-4. Federer picked up where he left off by breaking serve at the start of the second set for 1-0. Verdasco broke the losing streak by breaking serve in the second game for 1-1. Federer wasted a 40-15 lead on Verdasco’s serve in the fifth game but he converted on his third break point to take a 3-2 lead. Federer sealed the 6-4 6-3 win with another break of serve to set up a quarter final against Richard Gasquet.
Federer announced earlier this week that he will not play the Davis Cup in 2015 and will not defend the title won last year. Switzerland will start the title defense next week against Belgium without Federer and Stan Wawrinka. While Federer will not play the Davis Cup this year, Wawrinka could play the next matches
“It wasn’t a difficult decision. I have played for so long and I think by winning it I can finally do whatever I please, to be quite honest”, said Federer commenting on his decision to skip the Davis Cup this year.
Murray hit an ace to close out the first set with a bagel in just 21 minutes before breaking serve in the opening game of the second set. He held serve to cruise to 6-0 2-0. Sousa scored his first point of the match in the third game of the second set but Murray sealed the win with a break in the seventh game to go up 5-2. Sousa committed 38 unforced errors (19 in the first set). The Scotsman is playing in Dubai for the first time since finishing runner-up to Roger Federer in 2012. Murray will face Croatian rising star Borna Coric who rallied from 1-4 down in the third set against Marcos Baghdatis before the player from Cyprus withdrew from the match at 4-4 in the tie-break of the third set.
“I picked the right shots and played the right way when he was struggling. I didn’t give him any free points. I didn’t make sort of needless errors. He was getting more frustrated because he could not get any free points. I was going for more and more shots and obviously making more errors because of it”, said Murray.
Novak Djokovic needed just 61 minutes to beat Andrei Golubev from Russia in just 61 minutes. Djokovic hit 17 winners and won all 8 points at the net. Golubev committed 39 unforced errors
Tomas Berdych, runner-up twice in Dubai in 2013 and 2014, edged Simone Bolelli with 7-6 (9-7) 5-7 6-0 in two hours and 24 minutes to record his 500th career win. Berdych will face Sergiy Stakhovsky who also needed three sets to edge past Denis Istomin with 6-4 3-6 6-4.
Richard Gasquet battled past Roberto Bautista Agut after a hard-fought match with 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6).
The Dubai Tournament has been voted by players as the most favoured ATP 500 Tournament of 2014. This tournament has collected the ATP 500 World Tour award for the seventh consecutive year and for the 11th overall. The other prizes were awarded to Indian Well for the Master 1000 category and to the Queen’s in the ATP 250 category.
“We are honoured to receive the award for the best tournament in the ATP 500 category. Every year we endeavour that the players have a fantastic experience when they come to Dubai and that they enjoy a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere”, said Colm McLaughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of the Dubai Duty Free tournament.
