Roger Federer crushed a familiar opponent for the 16th successive time as he made an encouraging return to the ATP World Tour after his Australian Open debacle.
The Grand Slam record-holder’s lively 6-3, 6-1 win over Mikhail Youzhny, a regular sparring partner, in the first round of the Dubai Open helped him begin to rebuild after a dispiriting third-round loss in Melbourne.
The Swiss legend did this consistently well, serving forcefully, striking the ball with surprisingly good rhythm in a stiff breeze and shortening the rallies by coming to the net successfully on plenty of occasions.
Photo: AFP
“He’s [Youzhny] beaten me a lot in practice,” Federer said when asked how he managed to be so ruthless against someone he had been playing since the turn of the century and to whom he had never lost. “For some reason he has not done so in a match. You can’t feel sorry. You have to make your best effort.”
Youzhny, who has twice reached the final in Dubai, is still a fluent ground-stroker, but only remained a contender in the match for the first seven games against a Federer intent on not playing too carefully in tricky conditions — a mistake he believes he made in Australia.
Youzhny then saved three break points before being pressured into driving too long on the fourth.
After that Federer consolidated the break with a sharp service game, before breaking again to close the first set. The second was so quick the match was over inside an hour.
“In the best of three [sets] on a quick court, the score can run away from you. A bad five to 10 minutes can cost you the match,” Federer said. “So I’m pleased with the way I started.”
Later Federer learned he would not have a chance of avenging last month’s Australian Open loss to Andreas Seppi in the third round.
The Italian saved two second-set match points and led 4-2 in the final set, but was still beaten by talented, but inconsistent Frenchman Richard Gasquet, 6-4, 6-7 (1/7), 6-4.
Gasquet, who won the Montpellier title indoors two weeks ago, survived on the faster outdoor courts partly because he regained control of his emotions after a second-set disappointment that caused him to lash the ball furiously into the crowd.
“I had those two match points and then he played better than me,” Gasquet said. “He had confidence from beating Federer in Australia, but now I feel ready to compete.”
If Gasquet wins again, against either Roberto Bautista Agut, the seventh seeded Spaniard, or Dominic Thiem of Austria, he may face Federer.
The six-time former champion next plays one of two Spaniards, Guillermo Verdasco or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, today.
It was a startling contrast to the start of Ernests Gulbis, the fifth-seeded Latvian, who was in the world’s top 10 at last year’s Wimbledon, but is now at risk of tumbling rapidly from the top 20 after losing his seventh match in a row — and all five this year. This time it was a 7-5, 6-2 loss to Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, despite leading 4-1 in the first set.
Gulbis has plausible explanations. He has had a bad shoulder and a persistent virus. The conditions were often very difficult, an umpire’s giant sunshade turning inside out in the wind, causing it to be dismantled. Several paper bags blew distractingly into the sky above the court, one descending erratically before landing on Gulbis’ racket.
He also had other problems, apart from mood, form and adverse weather. One travel bag was lost during his journey, causing him to arrive without tennis shoes.
“I bought shoes here one size too small, so I was practicing in shoes one size too small,” Gulbis said. “Didn’t break my good mood until today’s match.”
Gulbis’ exit is possibly good news for Tomas Berdych, although the fourth-seeded Czech could still have a quarter-final against another dangerously unpredictable hitter — compatriot Lukas Rosol — once the Wimbledon conqueror of Rafael Nadal.
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