Roddick canters to Paris quarter-finals
Federer, Djokovic secure straight-set wins.
LONDON:
Andy Roddick swept into the quarter-finals of the BNP Paris Masters with a 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win over the Latvian Ernests Gulbis.
The eighth-seed started off well with a 2-0 lead and comfortably held his serve to claim the first set. Gulbis stepped up his game in the second set but bowed out when he lost the tiebreak 10-8 after saving three match points.
Earlier, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all hit form to reach the Paris Masters third round. Federer breezed past home favourite Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4 and Djokovic comfortably defeated Argentina’s Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-3, but Murray had to battle back from a set down to overcome former champion David Nalbandian 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Federer, who received a first-round bye, served imperiously against Gasquet and secured the decisive break of serve in the third game of the first set with a typically deft forehand drop volley. He broke his opponent in the opening game of the second set and went on to close out victory, teeing him up for a showdown against Radek Stepanek.
Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, Spain’s David Ferrer and Roddick will complete the field for the season-ending event. Rafael Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray and Robin Soderling had already secured their places at the event at London’s O2 Arena.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2010.
Andy Roddick swept into the quarter-finals of the BNP Paris Masters with a 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win over the Latvian Ernests Gulbis.
The eighth-seed started off well with a 2-0 lead and comfortably held his serve to claim the first set. Gulbis stepped up his game in the second set but bowed out when he lost the tiebreak 10-8 after saving three match points.
Earlier, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all hit form to reach the Paris Masters third round. Federer breezed past home favourite Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4 and Djokovic comfortably defeated Argentina’s Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-3, but Murray had to battle back from a set down to overcome former champion David Nalbandian 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Federer, who received a first-round bye, served imperiously against Gasquet and secured the decisive break of serve in the third game of the first set with a typically deft forehand drop volley. He broke his opponent in the opening game of the second set and went on to close out victory, teeing him up for a showdown against Radek Stepanek.
Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, Spain’s David Ferrer and Roddick will complete the field for the season-ending event. Rafael Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray and Robin Soderling had already secured their places at the event at London’s O2 Arena.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2010.