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Federer Holds On To Avoid Major Upset

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The Associated Press

Published: September 3, 2008

NEW YORK - His strokes awry, his emotions laid bare for all to see, Roger Federer figured out a way to stay in the U.S. Open.

Federer found himself locked in a five-set struggle against the sort of player the world is accustomed to seeing him dismiss with ease, and it was only down the stretch that the four-time defending champion at Flushing Meadows looked the part.

Avoiding as big an upset as tennis has seen in a while, Federer came back to beat 23rd-seeded Igor Andreev of Russia 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 Tuesday night to reach the quarterfinals at the year's last Grand Slam tournament.

When Federer finished the match with a forehand winner, he shook his fists violently and yelled, then flashed a grin toward his girlfriend and others in the player guest box.

Hard to recall the last time this guy was so pleased by a mere fourth-round victory, one that moved him into a match against qualifier Gilles Muller. Federer is, after all, a man who owns 12 Grand Slam titles, two shy of Pete Sampras' career mark. A man who has won 31 consecutive matches at the U.S. Open. A man who is trying to extend his record streak of 17 straight appearances in major semifinals.

And yet, because of how tough this was, Federer couldn't stop smiling at the end of the 3 1/2 -hour test.

"I was just trying to stay in the match," he told the supportive crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Playing near-perfect tennis, Andy Roddick reached the quarterfinals by beating Fernando Gonzalez 6-2, 6-4, 6-1.

Roddick, the 2003 champion who is seeded eighth this year, made only seven unforced errors Tuesday night - 26 fewer than No. 11 Gonzalez.

Roddick also only faced one break point in the match. It came with him serving while ahead 3-1 in the third set, and it quickly vanished when Gonzalez pushed a forehand passing try wide.

In the quarterfinals, Roddick will face No. 3 Novak Djokovic, who needed five sets to win his fourth-round match against No. 15 Tommy Robredo, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Djokovic was bothered at various points by his stomach, his hip, his right ankle and breathing problems.

"Somehow," the No. 3 Djokovic said, "I managed."

The 2007 runner-up to Federer at the U.S. Open and the reigning Australian Open champion needed every ounce of heart, smarts and energy he could muster, and acknowledged that his quarterfinal foe would be fitter.

This also has been a difficult year for the once-unbeatable Federer, whose 12 losses already are more than he absorbed in any entire season from 2004-07. The standards he has set are so high that any misstep is fodder for questions about the state of his game - and his career.

Experience was a factor at key stages. In the second set, for example, Andreev accumulated seven break points - and Federer saved them all. Any one of those could have swung the match for good.

And in the crucible of the fifth set, Andreev compiled four more break points, all with Federer serving at 4-2 - and, again, Federer handled the situation better, erasing every one.

Federer played poorly at times, and Andreev seemed as though he simply could not miss a shot for stretches, scurrying along the baseline to whip his go-for-it forehand and find a line. In the second set, for example, Andreev had 18 winners and only three unforced errors, a stunning ratio, particularly against Federer.

Normally so calm, Federer often threw his head back in disappointment or screamed with delight. He pulled a ball out his pocket and chucked it. He cracked another ball into the net after one lost opportunity.

But he was at his best when he absolutely needed to be, and was brilliant up at the net, winning 58 of 84 points when he pressed forward.

"I was struggling to get into the groove from the baseline," Federer said.

LOCALS: Alex Domijan, 16, of Wesley Chapel, defeated Thailand's Kittipong Wachiramanowong 7-6 (3), 6-4, in the first round of boys singles in the U.S. Open Junior Championships.

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