THE GREAT ROGER FEDERER FLIES PAST BERDYCH AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, JOINED BY WAWRINKA IN FOURTH ROUND

Written by: Staff on 20th January 2017

THE GREAT ROGER FEDERER FLIES PAST BERDYCH AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, JOINED BY WAWRINKA IN FOURTH ROUND

epa05734327 Roger Federer of Switzerland in action against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during their Men's Singles third round match for the Australian Open tennis tournament, in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2017. EPA/MARK R. CRISTINO |

Federer flies past Berdych at Australian Open, joined by Wawrinka in fourth round

By Ricky Dimon

It’s too early–or is it?–to start thinking about another Australian Open title for Roger Federer, but his potential road to the winner’s trophy from the third round through the championship path is worth noting: Tomas Berdych, Kei Nishikori, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Rafael Nadal.

That is just about as difficult as it could get for Federer, but the 17-time Grand Slam winner had absolutely no problem with the first of those five possible roadblocks on Friday night in Rod Laver Arena. Federer clobbered Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in a surprisingly routine third-round affair that lasted only one hour and 30 minutes.

The 35-year-old Swiss raised his level dramatically from the first two rounds, during which he defeated Jurgen Melzer and Noah Rubin in solid but unspectacular fashion. With the competition level ratcheting up, Federer responded by turning back the clock with a virtuoso performance. He struck 40 winners compared to a mere 17 unforced errors and dropped only 14 points in 14 service games.

“I was hoping to play [well] against better-ranked players because I guess I know them more and I know these matchups so well over the years that maybe sometimes it’s easier to play against them than it is against a qualifier, somebody I’ve only played a few times,” Federer noted. “From the baseline, honestly I felt worlds better than in the first couple of rounds. Yeah, it’s wonderful. I’m really happy.”

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in action during round three of the Men’s Singles match against Viktor Troicki of Serbia at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2017. EPA/MADE NAGI

Fellow Swiss star Stan Wawrinka joined Federer in the round of 16 by beating Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(7) in two hours and 32 minutes. Wawrinka twice failed to serve out the match at 5-4 and 6-5 in the fourth, after which he came within one point of being extended to a fifth and deciding frame of play. But the No. 4 seed stumbled across the finish line by fighting off a set point at 6-7 and capitalizing on his second match point at 8-7 when a Troicki backhand found the top of the net.

“It was not always the best tennis, but I’m happy to won the match,” Wawrinka assessed. “That’s all that counts. In general, it was a good momentum–second, third, and fourth set I was playing better.”

Up next for the 2014 Australian Open champ is Andreas Seppi, while Federer will go up against Nishikori on Sunday. Seppi, who won a thriller against Nick Kyrgios in the second round, edged Steve Darcis 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(1), 7-6(2) on Friday; Nishikori cruised past Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.