Sports

Federer to meet Dimitrov in final

February 18, 2018
Switzerland’s Roger Federer celebrates after winning against Italy’s Andreas Seppi at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam Saturday. — AFP
Switzerland’s Roger Federer celebrates after winning against Italy’s Andreas Seppi at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam Saturday. — AFP

ROTTERDAM — Roger Federer celebrated becoming the oldest man to reach the world NO. 1 ranking by making the Rotterdam Open final Saturday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Italy’s Andreas Seppi despite losing sleep watching early-morning coverage of the Winter Olympics.

The 36-year-old Federer racked up his 14th win from 15 matches with 33-year-old Seppi, the world No. 81 who had enjoyed a memorable week in the Dutch port city by reaching the semifinals as a ‘lucky loser’.

Top-seeded Federer will face Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday’s final. Dimitrov, the second seed, advanced to the semifinals when Belgian opponent David Goffin was forced to retire after injuring his eye when the ball flew off his own racquet.

Dimitrov was leading 6-3, 0-1 at the time.

Federer said that despite not getting much sleep due to the excitement of his latest achievement — and draining more energy by watching the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the pre-dawn hours — he expects to be fighting fit for his Sunday showdown which could result in a 97th career trophy.

"I felt OK today, maybe a bit heavy on court but I was aggressive," the 20-time Grand Slam title winner said.

Thiem-Bedene final

Top-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria beat Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-1 Saturday to set up an Argentina Open final against Slovenia’s Alijaz Bedene.

Bedene topped local favorite Federico Delbonis 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 in the clay-court event.

The sixth-ranked Thiem also beat Argentinians Horacio Zeballos and Guido Pella on his way to the ATP 250 tournament’s final.

The 24-year-old Bedene went through Czech Jiri Vesely, Spaniard and third seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Argentinian Daniel Schwartzman.

The Austrian has won both previous encounters with the Slovenian, the last Jan. 3 in the Doha Open.

Querrey, Anderson, advance

Sam Querrey had everything figured out Saturday except his math.

The No. 2 seed lost track of the score and didn’t realize he had closed out the match when he beat fourth-seeded Adrian Mannarino 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals of the New York Open.

Querrey won the final four games at Nassau Coliseum, but thought he had one more to go as he walked toward the bench following his second straight service break.

"I broke, I kind of like gave a fist pump and I was walking to the bench, and then the crowd was a little like too loud for just a break of serve and I looked up and, ‘Oh my gosh, I won,’" Querrey said.

He advanced to face top-seeded Kevin Anderson, the US Open runner-up from South Africa, in the final Sunday.

Anderson beat fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan, the tournament winner from 2013-16 when it was played in Memphis, Tennessee, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4) in the night match.

The 11th-ranked Anderson is guaranteed a return to the top 10 for the first time since October 2015. The three-time tour winner would jump to a career-best No. 9 with a victory Sunday.

Nishikori was playing his tournament since August in a return from a wrist injury.

"I think I’m back on the track again," he said. "I think I played three good matches here, so I think I’m playing better again. I hope I can win a tournament as soon as possible."

The US Davis Cup player Querrey said he couldn’t remember ever losing track of the score on the ATP Tour.

"I think I was just so dialed in because I wanted to beat him so badly because I’ve never beat him before," Querrey said. — Agencies


February 18, 2018
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