World No. 1 Roger Federer said he had to get tough and forget about the beautiful side of his game to beat Germany’s Bjorn Phau 6-3, 6-4 at the Estoril Open and post his first win of the clay season on Wednesday.
The Swiss made the worst possible start to the season, crashing out at the first hurdle in Rome against Latvian Ernests Gublis last month, so he was happy to beat the 138th-ranked German, even if he had to opt for a pragmatic approach.
Federer, who won the tournament in 2008, appeared to be in control of the match, but did have to save three break-points as he served for the first set.
After receiving a bye in the first round, the win against Phau earned Federer a quarter-final berth against Frenchman Arnaud Clement today.
Looking ahead to the French Open, which starts at Roland Garros on May 23, Federer said winning the tournament for the first time last year would give him an “edge” this time.
Fourth-seed Albert Montanes also booked a quarter-final spot on Wednesday, beating Spanish compatriot Daniel Gimeno Traver 6-1, 6-2. Eighth seed Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas battled to beat Spain’s Marcel Granollers 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/2).
Second seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic has pulled out because of a muscle injury which prevents him from serving, a spokesman for the tournament said.
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