Roger Federer crisply defeated Leonardo Mayer in his first match since Tuesday, while Stan Wawrinka had no trouble with Marton Fucsovics, setting up an anticipated all-Swiss quarterfinal in Cincinnati.
The seven-time champion in the American midwest won 6-1, 7-6, facing no break points, losing only four first serve points and winning 10 straight points in one stretch.
He was thoroughly dominant in the first set, holding break point in every return game and losing just four points on his own serve. Though Federer failed to capitalize on three break chances in Mayer’s opening service game, he moved ahead two games later when Mayer double faulted on break point.
The 20-time grand slam champion ran ahead 0-40 at 1-4, then secured a second break when Mayer lashed a forehand wide. Federer then managed an easy service winner on his second set point, closing a 23-minute frame in which he won nearly 60 percent of return points.
Mayer was challenged in his opening service game of the second set, but found his form and faced no more break points. Federer, however, remained similarly impenetrable on his own racket, briskly pushing the set to a tiebreak.
There, Mayer dug in after an opening point double fault and a two mini-break hole, but Federer aggressively returned a second serve at 6-6 and served out the match with an ensuing ace.
It sets up Federer’s first single day double-header in 14 years, should the rain hold off and allow Federer and Wawrinka to resume their head-to-head, which the former leads 20-3.
“It has been a while since I’ve played two matches in one day,” Federer said on-court. “One thing I did is I played a lot of practice twice a day. If I’m not ready for today I’ll never be ready. I’m excited.”
Wawrinka, meanwhile, had a similarly smooth outing, winning 6-4, 6-3 in a match that had just begun when rain postponed it on Thursday. He had five first set break points before converting a set point after two long Fucsovics forehands, closing a set in which he faced no breaks of his own.
The second set progressed in similar fashion. An unsuccessful Fucsovics tweener helped Wawrinka secure the lone break he needed, and the Swiss star served out the match at love.
