Sports News

Federer escapes with five-set win

Published: June 1, 2009 at 3:53 PM
French Open tennis in Paris

PARIS, June 1 (UPI) -- Roger Federer lost his first two sets Monday before escaping with a fourth-round victory at the French Open in Paris.

Federer, second on the all-time Grand Slam victory list with 13 but who has never won the French Open, lost just one point on his serve in the first set but dropped the set and fell in a tight second set before rallying for a 6-7 (4-7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 victory over unseeded Tommy Haas.

The match lasted more than three hours and it wasn't until Federer won nine consecutive games that he tied Haas at two sets each. Federer won just nine points receiving Haas's serve in the third set but was able to combine them into two service breaks to decide the match.

Federer advanced to the quarterfinals against 11th-seeded Gael Monfils -- the last French man in the field. Monfils dispatched sixth-seeded Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. A French man hasn't won the French Open since 1983 when Yannick Noah turned the trick.

The other quarterfinal in the lower half of the draw sends fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro against 16th-seeded Tommy Robredo. Del Potro took out No. 9-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-4 while Robredo beat 29th-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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