Peoples Daily Online
May 31, 2007
Federer fights off late charge to advance at French Open
Swiss world number one Roger Federer kept alive his dream of completing a
career Grand Slam at this year’s Roland Garros as he struggled through
Frenchman Thierry Ascione 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (8) to reach the third round on
Wednesday night.
The 25-year-old, who has not dropped a set in his first two matches, will
next play Italian Potito Starace.
After failing to serve out the match at 5-4, Federer surprisingly found
himself in danger of dropping the third set and being forced to return on
Thursday to complete the match.
Federer held three match points at 6-3 in the third-set tie-break but
Ascione, continuing his superb performance in the set, reeled off four
straight points to hold set point.
Federer had to save two set points before converting his fourth match point
to close out the match.
Federer recorded 28 winners against Ascione’s 10, and could have wrapped up
the match much earlier: He won the first two sets in 48 minutes but
converted just five of 21 break point opportunities in the match.
Argentine 15th seed David Nalbandian, who has reached two Roland Garros
semifinals in the past three years, set up an mouth-watering third-round
showdown with rising French star Gael Monfils following a 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 win
over Spaniard Ivan Navarro Pastor.
Monfils upset Nalbandian’s countryman Juan Ignacio Chela 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Last year at Roland Garros he won three consecutive five-set matches before
falling in straight sets to Novak Djokovic in the fourth round.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
