ROGER FEDERER FLIES PAST MILOS RAONIC, INTO CINCINNATI FINALS VS. FERRER BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 17th August 2014

ROGER FEDERER FLIES PAST MILOS RAONIC, INTO CINCINNATI FINALS VS. FERRER BY RICKY DIMON

epa04354122 Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a return shot to Gael Monfils of France in their third round match of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Linder Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 14 August 2014. EPA/TANNEN MAURY |

Roger Federer took care of Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open on Saturday night. Federer, who made similarly short 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 work of Raonic in the Wimbledon semis, needed just one hour and eight minutes to set up a final showdown against David Ferrer.

“I think the start was big again,” the 33-year-old Swiss noted. “Like at Wimbledon I got off (to) a flier and sort of never looked back. I think I returned well in patches. I would return really well one game and not for three games and then return well again.

“I feel like because of that it matched up really well with how he was serving. I think because of maybe the problems I’ve caused him in the past he was pushing a bit too much on the serve or felt like he had to do something special. That’s exactly what you want your opponent to feel.”

Federer has made Ferrer feel plenty of pressure throughout their vast and lopsided head-to-head history. The 17-time major champion has won all 15 of their previous encounters, including 10 on either hard courts or indoor carpet. He is 31-4 lifetime in total sets against Ferrer. They just faced each other last week in the Toronto quarterfinals, with Federer prevailing 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Federer is 48-9 for the season and back up to No. 3 in the world after a disappointing, injury-plagued 2013 campaign. The Swiss finished runner-up at the Rogers Cup and has recovered nicely from a long week with Cincinnati victories over Vasek Pospisil, Gael Monfils, Andy Murray, and Raonic.

Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a return shot to Gael Monfils of France in their third round match of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Linder Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 14 August 2014. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

“I love Cincinnati,” Federer assured. “It’s been my most successful Masters 1000, I guess. It would be great winning one more. Plus, I think I’ve lost three (Masters 1000 finals) this year already, so it’s about time I win this one right now.”

“With Roger, I (have) never beaten him,” Ferrer said after his semifinal and prior to the Federer-Raonic match. “So of course I prefer Milos. It’s normal. Anyway, tomorrow it’s one important final for me.”

While Federer needed three sets to get past Pospisil and Monfils, Ferrer flirted with an early exit to a much greater extent. The sixth-ranked Spaniard saved two match points in a 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(4) win over Philipp Kohlschreiber before making more routine work of Mikhail Youzhny, Tommy Robredo, and Julien Benneteau. Ferrer is 43-15 for the year and he has reached at least the quarterfinals in six of his last seven tournaments.

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

Topics: Andy Murray, Atp, Cincinnati, David Ferrer, Gael Monfils, Julien Benneteau, Mikhail Youzhny, milos raonic, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Ricky Dimon, Roger Federer, sports news, Tennis, Tommy Robredo, Vasek Pospisil, Western & Southern Open

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10sBalls_com says:

August 17, 2014 at 8:16 am

@rogerfederer FLIES PAST @milosraonic, INTO #CINCINNATI FINALS VS. FERRER BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/Ny86zuQmsy #tennis #atp #Federer
RD_Tennistalk says:

August 17, 2014 at 8:24 am

RT @10sBalls_com: @rogerfederer FLIES PAST @milosraonic, INTO #CINCINNATI FINALS VS. FERRER BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/Ny86zuQmsy #ten…