Federer and Nadal battle through
HAMBURG: Roger Federer scraped into the third round of the Hamburg Masters with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Juan Monaco on Wednesday, while Rafael Nadal stretched his claycourt winning streak to 78 matches.
World No 1 Federer had to save five break points to avoid going a break down in the deciding set against the Argentine qualifier before completing an unconvincing win in one hour 56 minutes.
Second seed Nadal also looked well below par as he struggled to impose himself in the first set against fellow Spaniard Oscar Hernandez, although he eventually won 7-5, 6-1.
Nadal goes on to face the Russian Igor Andreev, who was the last man to beat him on clay, back in April 2005 in the quarter-finals in Valencia. Andreev outlasted the German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 to take his place in the last 16.
"The fact that it was Andreev who beat me in Valencia doesn't make it anything special," Nadal said at a news conference. "But he's a very good player, with an unbelievable forehand and it's going to be a tough match.
"I just hope the sun comes out."
The top two seeds were joined in the third round by Spain's Carlos Moya, who beat Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 outside before the rain started, and 16th seed Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-2, 7-6.
Federer, playing his first match since splitting with part-time coach Tony Roche, did little to suggest that he will challenge Nadal at the French Open later this month.
Federer, who has never won at Roland Garros, needs to take the claycourt title to become only the third man after American Don Budge and Australian Rod Laver to hold all four majors at the same time.
Agencies
(China Daily 05/18/2007 page24)
