Roger Federer overpowers Stanislas Wawrinka in the round of 16 – French Open 2011
World number 3, Swiss Maestro Roger Federer reached a record 28th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal as he knocked out compatriot, world number 14 Stanislas Wawrinka in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in the fourth round of
French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Sunday. It took the legend just an hour and 46 minutes to oust his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Federer broke his countryman in the fourth game of the opening set as Wawrinka hit a backhand outside the court. The Swiss consolidated on the break of serve and went on to win the set 6-3.
The sixteen times Grand Slam champion served quite well as he fired four aces and 69 percent of the first deliveries, winning 83 percent of the points on them in the first set. On the other hand, Wawrinka had a pretty low first
serve percentage, delivering just 56 percent of the first serves but the Swiss impressed with his conversion rate as he converted an incredible 90 percent of the first serves into points in the opening set. Federer converted the only break point opportunity
he received on Wawrinka’s serve and did not face any break point on his own serve in the first set.
Keeping his opponent under pressure, the Swiss broke Wawrinka in the third and fifth game of the second set, blazing forward to a 5-1 lead. Wawrinka hit an ace to hold his serve in the seventh game and reduced Federer’s lead to
5-2. However, the former world number 1 did not give his opponent any chance to break back and served out the set at 5-2.
The 29-year-old hit two aces and kept his first serve percentage at 53 percent in the second set, converting 80 percent of the first serves into points. Federer smashed eight winners but committed the same number of unforced errors
in the second set. The Swiss capitalised on both break point opportunities he created on his opponent’s serve in the second set.
Wawrinka came strong in the third set and took the lead straightaway, breaking Federer in the second game and racing to a 3-0 lead. However, the Swiss King was in no mood to play another set as he broke back in seventh game and
held his serve in the next game to equalise the score at 4-4. The Basel resident broke again in the eleventh game and served out the set at 6-5.
Federer said, after the match, "He showed all his qualities in the third set and was a bit unlucky. I am super happy because I knew after he beat Tsonga, when he really dominated in the last two sets, what the danger was."
The Swiss will meet either David Ferrer of Spain or French Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals.
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