ATP Dubai: Roger Federer after beating Fernando Verdasco in the quarter-finals
Roger Federer is in the quarter-finals of the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Dubai. The Swiss also won the seventh encounter with Fernando Verdasco, this time with 6: 3, 3: 6 and 6: 3, and now faces Marton Fucsovics.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Feb 27, 2019, 06:15 pm
If the record against an opponent is as modest as Fernando Verdasco's against Roger Federer, then you shouldn't make too many simple mistakes. Especially not at breakball for the opponent. Verdasco caught the ball on the second serve only with the frame, Federer came to a simple break. That was enough for the Swiss to win the first set with 6: 3 after 27 minutes. 15: 3 was Federer's profit record after round one.
Federer has won the previous six matches, most recently in Dubai in 2015. The second act in the 2019 edition began like that in Federer's first round match against Philipp Kohlschreiber: The Swiss gave up his service to 0: 2, Verdasco drew to 3: 0. Federer now made more mistakes with the forehand, no longer served so consistently on the Spaniard's backhand. Verdasco equalized - with his first set win against Roger Federer since 2009, the second ever.
In the decision Federer had to fend off a breakball in the third game, the ace of the Swiss was gratefully accepted by the audience. The first breakball for Federer came in the eighth game - after a Swiss backhand dripped from the net into the field. Federer then made it 5: 3. And served out to victory.
Marton Fucsovics is now waiting for the 37-year-old Basel bidder in the quarterfinals. Fucsovics also prevailed on Wednesday against Jan-Lennard Struff in two sets. Roger Federer is in second place in Dubai - tournament favorite Kei Nishikori was surprisingly beaten by Hubert Hurkacz from Poland on Wednesday.