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Federer Extends Blake's Futility

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A Tribune wire report

Published: January 24, 2008

MELBOURNE, Australia - Even after watching Roger Federer win 12 Grand Slam singles titles, he can still catch you off guard.

It happened Wednesday night at the Australian Open. Federer was facing Tampa's James Blake in the quarterfinals. The Swiss maestro was down 2-1 in the second-set tiebreaker and had just played a poor defensive point, looking off rhythm and in a mood almost dark enough to match his black socks.

Up he trudged to the service line and then, out of his funk, came nothing less than tennis magic: a typically huge return from Blake that Federer parried with a forehand half-volley, a huge approach from Blake that Federer parried again as if someone had pushed a fast-forward button on a DVR, and then, to finish off, a whipping forehand passing shot crosscourt for a winner that dipped past Blake's racket at just the right moment.

"Those are the points you like to see on replay later," Federer said.

With no time to think or fret, it had all been about instinct. And just like that, Federer was on his way to a higher level: taking the next point, another extended delight, with an overhead winner off a high bouncing lob from Blake that landed very near Federer's baseline.

Blake put hand to strings and clapped, not nearly as stunned as the 15,000 fans in Rod Laver Arena. "Nothing he does surprises me," Blake said after Federer's 7-5, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory. "It frustrates me, but nothing surprises me."

Blake is, to his continuing chagrin, well placed to analyze Federer's talents. Wednesday's defeat was his eighth in eight attempts against tennis' multitooled equivalent of a Swiss army knife.

Federer is back in his 15th straight Grand Slam semifinal, an all-time record by a wide margin. He will face No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic in the semifinals Friday.

On the women's side, just two days after ending top-ranked Justine Henin's 32-match winning streak in the quarterfinals, Maria Sharapova outclassed Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-1 early today to advance to the final Saturday and a bid for her third Grand Slam singles title.

The 20-year-old Sharapova, who hasn't dropped a set in six matches at Melbourne Park this year, won her first major at Wimbledon in 2004, then added the U.S. Open title in 2006.

Sharapova will play the winner of today's second semifinal between another Serbian player, Ana Ivanovic, and Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova.

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