World No. 1 and top seed Roger Federer was sent crashing out of the ATP and WTA Masters tournament dropping a 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (8/6) fourth round marathon contest to Czech Tomas Berdych.
Federer struggled to find his form on Tuesday in an almost-three-hour match in front of a record crowd of 12,084 on the hard courts at Crandon Park.
The reigning Australian Open champion suffered just his second loss to Berdych in 10 career meetings.
PHOTO: AFP
Berdych, the 16th seed, saved one match point in a third set tiebreaker. He hammered six aces and won 67 percent of his first service points to snap an eight-match losing streak to the Swiss star.
Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick were two of eight seeded players to advance to the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Nadal outlasted fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 while Roddick continued his mastery over Benjamin Becker by beating the unseeded German 7-6 (6/4), 6-3.
Also, in the men’s fourth round, American Mardy Fish retired with a back injury trailing Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 1-0.
Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling reached the Miami quarter-finals for the first time with a 6-0, 6-7 (7/3), 6-2 win over Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
Eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat No. 12 Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 6-2, and Nicolas Almagro eliminated Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3).
In women’s play, Venus Williams beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the semis.
She hammered eight aces and lost only five points on her first serve to reach the semis where she will face France’s Marion Bartoli who beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 7-5.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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