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Tennis

Federer breezes pas Anderson

───   MORGAN PIEK 16:37 Fri, 29 Mar 2019

Federer breezes pas Anderson | News Article
Kevin Anderson - Tennis Australia

Switzerland’s Roger Federer might make a mistake later this week at the Miami Open, but he hardly did on Thursday night against SA’s Kevin Anderson in a straight sets victory.


The three-time Miami champion had everything on full display during his 6-0, 6-4 rout against the sixth seed and looks like the man to beat heading into the final weekend of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Federer brought the cheeky net skills, the crafty slices from side to side and the attacking mindset, and it was all far too much for Anderson, who couldn't replicate his 2018 Wimbledon comeback and fell to 1-6 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against the 27-time Masters 1000 champion.

The 37-year-old Federer moved into his seventh Miami semifinal and 65th final four at a Masters 1000 event. Next, instead of an experienced veteran like the 32-year-old Anderson, he'll meet someone who spent his childhood watching the Swiss in 19-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov. 

The quarterfinal had an ominous start for Anderson, who served first. The South African looked unnerved and overhit a backhand long to hand Federer the break.

Coming into the match, he had been broken only three times (34/37) against Spain's Jaume Munar, Portugal's No. 1 Joao Sousa and Jordan Thompson of Australia. But Federer would break Anderson that many times in the opening set alone.

Federer landed only 38 per cent of his first serves, but he defended his second serve without problems. Anderson recovered from the 26-minute opening set and the 0-6, 0-2 deficit, breaking Federer to get back on serve at 3-3 in the second.

But the pressure mounted once more at 4-4, and, after a marathon 14-minute game, Federer showed off his craftiness once more. The Swiss cut a slice return to Anderson's forehand wing that he lunged for and hit, but missed wide, and Federer had his fifth and final break.  

- ANA

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