Federer win sets up Soderling re-match
Life is still looking up for Roger Federer
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By James Christie
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Monday, 07, Sep 2009 11:32
By James Christie
Roger Federer easily defeated Tommy Robredo to book a place in the quarter finals of the US Open where he will face Robin Soderling - the man he beat at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Joining the world number one in the last eight is fourth seed Novak Djokovic, who had a similarly straightforward victory in the night match - beating 16th seed Radek Stepanek 6-1 6-3 6-3 in under two hours.
Federer, who surprisingly dropped a set in his third round clash with Lleyton Hewitt, was good value for his 7-5 6-2 6-2 win; clinching the match with an ace.
The Swiss legend has been granted a very easy draw in this year's competition which, with the exception of the brief blip against Hewitt, he has taken full advantage of.
His next opponent, Soderling of Sweden, became the first man to reach this year's quarter-finals.
It was a feat the French Open runner-up achieved rather sooner than he anticipated when his opponent Nikolay Davydenko conceded the match because of an unspecified injury when two sets to one down.
Premature retirements through injuries during matches are becoming a depressingly familiar fact of life at Grand Slams. A medical complaint forced Gilles Simon to shake hands early in his match last night.
It would be a shock if Soderling manages to prove much of an obstacle to Federer as he was a distant second-best in their matches earlier this year (in the final at Roland Garros and the last 16 at Wimbledon).
What a shame that the US Open organisers couldn't have come up with a draw which pitted Soderling against Rafael Nadal, the man he shocked at the French Open.
But perhaps coach Magnus Norman can inspire his unpredictable charge to upset the form book once again.
Soderling said of his new mentor: "He says the same things that all my other coaches have done in the past - but I tend to listen to him a bit more than the other coaches I had."
Tenth seed Fernando Verdasco ended the challenge of big-serving John Isner, the last US player left in the men's draw. Isner, who beat compatriot Andy Roddick in the third round, clinched the first set 6-4 but lost the next three by the same scoreline.