World number one Roger Federer fended off a tenacious challenge from Fernando Gonzalez on Saturday, downing the 15th-seeded Chilean 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 to reach the Toronto Masters Series final.
It wasn’t exactly the Federer Express, but the top-seeded Swiss finally chugged into his 17th straight ATP final — a streak dating back to his semifinal exit at Roland Garros in 2005.
On Sunday he will face France’s Richard Gasquet, a 6-2, 7-5 winner over Scottish teenager Andy Murray.
After racing through the opening set, Federer failed to convert several break points early in the second set and Gonzalez — who won Olympic doubles gold in Athens two years ago — broke him at love in the 12th game to force a decisive set.
Federer saved a break point at 1-2 in the third set, then broke Gonzalez in the seventh game when the Chilean lofted a lob long.
Two games later, Federer closed out the match with another break to improve to 61-4 on the year — 60-0 against all opponents but nemesis Rafael Nadal.
Gasquet (20) needed 80 minutes to see off the 19-year-old Murray, who is now working with Brad Gilbert, the former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick.
He stormed through the first set on the back of two breaks, but the second was a lot closer.
”In the second, he played really good,” Gasquet said. ”It was close. I didn’t lose my serve, and I broke him at 6-5. I was really happy, because I didn’t want to play a tiebreak. You never know what can happen in a tiebreak. — Sapa-AFP