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| TORONTO (AP) -- Roger Federer won his second Rogers Cup in three years Sunday, recovering in the second set and rallying past Richard Gasquet 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Federer won the event when it was last played in Toronto in 2004 but didn't defend the title last year. The top-ranked Swiss captured his 40th career title, 11th in the Masters Series. He also won his 54th straight match in North America -- and his ninth championship there -- since 2004. "I couldn't believe I started the second set so bad," Federer said. Federer improved his match record to 62-4 this year -- his only losses to Rafael Nadal. He's also reached the final of his last 17 tournaments since June 2005, one shy of matching Ivan Lendl's Open era record of 18 in 1981-82. Federer will defend his title next week in the Cincinnati Masters. Gasquet, unseeded, was trying to become the first French champ in the tournament's 125-year history. Federer lost to Gasquet last year in Monte Carlo but has since won five straight against him, including four this year. Gasquet started well by breaking twice to take the first set. Federer then started the second set 0-40 on serve but came back to hold and break in the next game. He soon led 3-0 and was on his way. "That's the key moment of the match," Federer said. "But at the same time by giving yourself a love-40 you can also take away his confidence by coming back in that game and winning that game. Make him start doubting himself like that was maybe his big opportunity." Gasquet agreed it was his big chance. "I know with Roger, when you have some chances you have to do it," Gasquet said. Federer broke Gasquet at 2-2 in the deciding set and that seemed to sap the 20-year-old Frenchman, who was broken again in his next service game. Federer had no trouble after that. He raised his arms and smiled at the crowd when he closed the match in 1 hour, 47 minutes. Gasquet took advantage of uncharacteristic mistakes in the opening set. Federer had a quick turnaround after Saturday night's semifinal win and looked as if he had a hard time getting used to Gasquet's pace and spin. Federer's footwork appeared off, leading to shanked balls and other mistakes. Gasquet came out hard in the second set, pushing Federer to a triple-break point in the opening game. But that seemed to fire up Federer, who fought back to deuce before holding serve. In the next game, Gasquet double-faulted at deuce, and Federer took advantage to break and go up 2-0. Gasquet wowed the crowd of about 10,000 in the third game. He ran from the net past the baseline to make a backhand flip return, with his back to the net. But Federer was waiting, and he sent Gasquet running deep to the other corner before putting that return away. |
| QUOTE (CoolJesture20 @ Aug 14 2006, 01:54 AM) |
| I wish I could strggle to the tune of a Rogers Cup tourny victory, 40th career title, 11th in the Masters Series, 54th straight winning match in North America , and a match record of 62-4 this year (only losses to the only player even close to the same level). Yeah, I wish I could struggle like that, lol. |
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| Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Roger Federer lost a tennis match in North America for the first time in more than two years, falling to British teenager Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters. Top-ranked Federer had won 55 straight matches in North America since 2004 -- including back-to-back U.S. Open titles -- and this year had a 62-0 record against players other than Rafael Nadal, the world No. 2 Switzerland's Federer had reached the final of his previous 17 tournaments dating back to June 2005, one short of the ATP Tour record set by Ivan Lendl from 1981-82. Today's defeat came three days after he captured the Toronto Masters title. ``My expectations were not to win the tournament here; they were to survive a few rounds,'' Federer told the tournament's Web site. ``Winning back-to-back Masters Series, 12 matches in 13 days, it's just basically something of the impossible.'' Federer, 25, was the defending champion at the ATP Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati and had won his only previous match against the 19-year-old Murray, who's ranked 21st in the world. This week's tournament is part of the U.S. Open Series that leads up to the year's final Grand Slam, which starts Aug. 28 in New York. Murray has reached the final of the Legg Mason Classic in Washington and the semifinals in Toronto since hiring Brad Gilbert as his coach last month. Gilbert formerly coached Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick. ``There always come a time when it's meant to be,'' Murray said at a news conference posted on the tournament Web site. ``I just felt that today it was my time to win against him.'' |
