Federer, Roddick advance
NEW YORK – His strokes awry, his emotions laid bare for all to see, Roger Federer figured out a way to stay in the U.S. Open.
Federer found himself locked in a five-set struggle against the sort of player the world is accustomed to seeing him dismiss with ease, and it was only down the stretch that the four-time defending champion at Flushing Meadows looked the part.
Avoiding as big an upset as tennis has seen in a while, Federer came back to beat 23rd-seeded Igor Andreev of Russia 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals at the year’s last Grand Slam tourney.
“Being down a set, and a tiebreak in the second set, obviously, you know, there’s danger written all over that situation,” Federer said. “You just hope that it’s going to turn your way. It did.”
Novak Djokovic felt the same way about his five-setter on the same court earlier Tuesday – a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over No. 15 Tommy Robredo of Spain.
Djokovic, the 2007 runner-up to Federer at the U.S. Open and the reigning Australian Open champion, needed every ounce of heart, smarts and energy he could muster, and acknowledged that his quarterfinal foe – 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, who overpowered No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 at night – would be fitter.
“I’ve got to feel good,” Roddick said, thinking ahead. “He’s got about 16 injuries right now.”
Djokovic was bothered at various points by his stomach, his hip, his right ankle and breathing problems.
“Somehow,” the No. 3 Djokovic said, “I managed.”
Because the Federer and Djokovic matches lasted so long, the women’s quarterfinal between No. 2 Jelena Jankovic and No. 29 Sybille Bammer was moved from Arthur Ashe Stadium to Louis Armstrong Stadium. Jankovic won 6-1, 6-4, advancing to a semifinal against No. 5 Elena Dementieva, who beat No. 15 Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-3.
Federer plays 130th-ranked Gilles Muller in the quarterfinals. The only man from Luxembourg to play Grand Slam tennis knocked off No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10) to become only the second qualifier to reach the U.S. Open quarters.
Muller noted that he’s used to observing a major tournament’s “second week, and especially quarterfinals, from home, I mean, on my sofa, watching on TV. Now I’m here, and I’m in it.”