The Fed Don’t Quit—Nathan’s Notice

Written by: Staff on 1st March 2012

The Fed Don’t Quit—Nathan’s Notice |

By: Nathan M. Cuny

Living legend Roger Federer defeated No. 34 Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. His Thursday win put him to a perfect 12-0 against Youzhny after beating him 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The match was very brief lasting only one hour and nine minutes. Federer aims to win his fifth title in Dubai this year, but he’s not the only one looking to win this title once again, Novak Djokovic has won the Dubai title three times.

When asked what he thought of his recent quarterfinal win against Youzhny, Federer replied, “I thought on my serve I was doing many of the right things. It’s quick out there, so you got to be really focused. He was obviously taking a lot chances for one set and a half. Maybe his energy wasn’t quite up. At the end he really got pumped up a bit, but it was almost too late for him.” Federer won seventy-four percent of his points on serve, converted two out of the eleven break points he generated, and shot a total of five aces.

Federer and No. 10 Juan Martin del Potro have crossed paths in the draws, and it’s now between the two of them to determine who makes it to the finals. Del Potro had no trouble defeating No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his quarterfinals match, beating him 7-6¹, 6-2. This makes it the second week in a row del Potro has beaten Tsonga boosting his 4-1 win-loss to 5-1 against Tsonga.

Federer’s win-loss match record against del Potro currently stands at 9-2. Federer’s ninth win came from the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament where he defeated del Potro in the finals, but del Potro did defeat Federer in one very big final at the 2009 US Open. In preparation for the Dubai semifinals match, where del Potro faces Federer once again, del Potro commented, “I always think about that final. After the final in Rotterdam (last month), he (Federer) told me ‘You have the big one, so don’t be sad. All the matches are different, all tournaments are different, and I’m trying to find a way to beat him again. It’s really difficult for me, his game. He plays slices, drop shots, and he’s one of the best in history. So I just want to be ready for a fight.”

Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro’s semifinal match is the last of the day on Friday and I can feel it already. The atmosphere is charging with the future sweat of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as their bodies move through the air with feet scraping the court, rackets swinging with wild precision. A finalist will emerge leaving the court nice and hot for Friday’s final act of Federer VS. Del Potro, where the second finalist will rise.

Topics: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Roger Federer