Roger Federer scraped into the third round of the Hamburg
Masters with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Juan Monaco on Wednesday,
while Rafael Nadal stretched his claycourt winning streak to 78
matches.
World No 1 Federer had to save five break points to avoid going
a break down in the deciding set against the Argentine qualifier
before completing an unconvincing win in one hour 56 minutes.
Second seed Nadal also looked well below par as he struggled to
impose himself in the first set against fellow Spaniard Oscar
Hernandez, although he eventually won 7-5, 6-1.
Nadal goes on to face the Russian Igor Andreev, who was the last
man to beat him on clay, back in April 2005 in the quarter-finals
in Valencia. Andreev outlasted the German Philipp Kohlschreiber
6-7, 6-1, 6-4 to take his place in the last 16.
"The fact that it was Andreev who beat me in Valencia doesn't
make it anything special," Nadal said at a news conference. "But
he's a very good player, with an unbelievable forehand and it's
going to be a tough match.
"I just hope the sun comes out."
The top two seeds were joined in the third round by Spain's
Carlos Moya, who beat Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych 3-6, 7-5, 7-6
outside before the rain started, and 16th seed Lleyton Hewitt, who
beat Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-2, 7-6.
Federer, playing his first match since splitting with part-time
coach Tony Roche, did little to suggest that he will challenge
Nadal at the French Open later this month.
Federer, who has never won at Roland Garros, needs to take the
claycourt title to become only the third man after American Don
Budge and Australian Rod Laver to hold all four majors at the same
time.
(China Daily via Agencies May 18, 2007)