FEDERER HOLDS OFF POSPISIL IN CINCINNATI, GETS 300TH MASTERS WIN BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: on 13th August 2014
Western and Southern Open
FEDERER HOLDS OFF POSPISIL IN CINCINNATI, GETS 300TH MASTERS WIN BY RICKY DIMON

epa04352522 Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a backhand return to Vasek Pospisil of Canada in their second round match of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Linder Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 13 August 2014. EPA/TANNEN MAURY  |

Roger Federer kicked off his Western & Southern Open campaign on Wednesday afternoon with a 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-2 win over Vasek Pospisil in the second round. Federer struck six aces without double-faulting a single time to advance after two hours and one minute of play.

 

The 33-year-old Swiss was making a quick turnaround after contesting the Rogers Cup final on Sunday. Of concern to Federer was that several others who had performed well in Toronto had already lost early in Cincinnati. Champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost his opening match, as did semifinalists Grigor Dimitrov and Feliciano Lopez.

 

“I [was] nervous about not being ready for the conditions, like Jo and Dimitrov and Lopez,” Federer explained. “The transition is always a tough one. We don’t have enough days. We just hope to get through the first match in tough conditions.”

 

Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a backhand return to Vasek Pospisil of Canada in their second round match of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Linder Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 13 August 2014. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

The No. 2 seed got through it, but not without a fight. Neither man could break serve a single time until the final game of the second set, when Pospisil capitalized on his second opportunity of the match. The Canadian held his first service game of the third for a 1-0 lead, but Federer seized control immediately thereafter. Federer broke for 2-1 and 4-1 before eventually serving things out at 5-2.

 

“In the third set I sensed he was getting a bit tired,” the 17-time Grand Slam champion reflected. “I was able to take advantage of that. I closed it out. So I’m happy things finished more positive in the end.”

 

The victory gives Federer 300 Masters 1000 wins for his career.

 

“It’s a nice round number,” he commented. “I have had some more important ones than the one today, but nevertheless it’s nice to reach such milestones. I also was one of those guys who struggled early on in the Masters 1000. I know how hard it is to win all these matches because it’s always against top 50 players–if not top 20; if not top 10.”

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: , , , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.