Hamburg masters: Federer on course to retain title
Roger Federer eased his way into the quarter-finals of the Hamburg Masters with a straight sets victory over Robin Soderling. The world-number-one will now meet Fernando Verdasco in the last eight as his bid to retain the title gathers pace.
After a shock defeat to Radek Stepanek in Rome last week the Swiss master produced a commanding display to down the young Swede 6-3, 6-2.
And Federer admits he was delighted to secure a convincing victory on clay ahead of the French Open. "I controlled things from the baseline and I served well when I had to," he told Sky Sports.
"He has a big game, a big serve but I retrieved it well and scrambled well."
Elsewhere Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic edged past big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic 7-6, 6-3 to join Federer in the last eight.
Djokovic wasted an early break of serve in the first set as the 6ft 10in Karlovic forced a tie-break. The Serb fought back after surrendering a mini-break to take the first set and breezed through the second set to take the match.
The Serb will now face Spain's Albert Montanes, who crushed Janko Tipsarevic 6-2, 6-1.
Andreas Seppi completed the draw following his 6-0, 6-3 victory over Juan Monaco.
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Posted by serina – 15 May 2008, 6:14 PM
Roger Federer is an amazing tennis player. I didn't see this match but the article makes it sound like Federer secured a spot in the quarter finals pretty easily.