French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer fell in the second round of the Tennis Masters Series in Cincinnati on Wednesday as an upset-bug hit the tournament.
Gaston Gaudio set the tone for the day, ousting second-seeded Spaniard Ferrero 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
Third-seeded Federer, who managed to dodge seven match points against Australian Scott Draper in the first round, could only save one against David Nalbandian in the second-set tiebreaker before losing 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5).
”I didn’t play well,” Federer said. ”It’s quite simple. I’m not happy with my game from yesterday. I’m not happy with my game today.”
In what can only be described as an unexpected turn of events, only three seeded players — sixth-seeded Guillermo Coria, seventh-seeded Andy Roddick and eighth-seeded Rainer Schuettler — remain in the Cincinnati draw after the completion of the second round.
Federer not only lost his chance at beating Nalbandian for the first time in four outings against the Argentine, but he forfeited his opportunity to claim the number-one ranking after this week.
By failing to reach the semifinals, the Swiss ensured that Andre Agassi, who would have been the top seed had he not withdrawn from this event, will reach his 100th overall week at number one when the US Open begins 13 days from now.
”I was not thinking about the number-one spot because the road is too long to the semifinals,” Federer said. ”I’m just going to try to be number one one time. I’m just going to try to win as many matches and hopefully win tournaments and then become number one. But I’m not going to push it.”
Federer, who posted 14 aces but had an unimpressive 48% first-serve percentage, held his own in the first set.
In the second set, however, he had to call on all his resources to rebound from a 5-2 deficit to reach the tiebreaker.
The Swiss was able to save one match point at 6-4 in the tiebreaker, but on the final point he netted a backhand.
”I like to play him. That’s it,” said Nalbandian of his unblemished 4-0 record against Federer. ”I think it was a very tough match. It was very, very close. But I think in the end of both sets I play really good.”
Nalbandian is one of five Argentines still alive in the tournament, along with sixth-seeded Coria, Mariano Zabaleta, Juan Ignacio Chela and Gaudio.
Despite an impressive 50-12 match win-loss record for the season, Ferrero hasn’t found a comfort zone in the hardcourt build-up to the US Open. He lost to Karol Kucera in the third round at Montreal last week.
Nevertheless, he said he still rated his US Open chances.
”You can play good and it doesn’t matter if it’s clay or hard court,” Ferrero said. ”I have one week and a half where I can practise well.”
Roddick continued his winning ways with an easy 6-1, 6-4 win over Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia.
Roddick, who won his first Masters Series level title last week in Montreal, also won the title in Indianapolis three weeks ago.
Since hooking up with new coach Brad Gilbert at the Queen’s Club tournament that he won in June, Roddick has won 26 of 28 matches, losing in the Wimbledon semifinals to Federer and the Washington semifinals to eventual champion Tim Henman.
Roddick, who is 51-13 on the season, takes on fellow American James Blake in the third round. Blake was responsible for upsetting 11th-seed Sjeng Schalken 6-1, 6-4, in the second round.
”Give me some wood to knock,” said Roddick, who has beaten Blake all six times they’ve played. ”But we’ve had some very close matches before, a couple three-setters. I think he’s improving all the time as well, so every match is a new match.” — Sapa-AFP