French Open
Federer, Nadal set for showdown
AFP, Paris
Spanish fourth seed Rafael Nadal set up a potentially classic French Open semifinal showdown against top seed Roger Federer on Tuesday when he beat compatriot David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 in his last eight clash. The Spanish 18-year-old, bidding to become the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the French Open on his debut, overcame a battling first set performance from the 20th seed to move into his first career Grand Slam semi-final. Ferrer, who came back from 0-4 in the final set to knock out defending champion Gaston Gaudio in the fourth round, matched Nadal shot-for-shot in a gruelling 56-minute first set. He even had set point in the tenth game, but after falling two breaks down to slip 1-4 behind in the second set, he needed treatment on his injured back and thereafter won just one more game. Nadal had broken to lead 4-3 in the first set before Ferrer, who had lost twice to the Spaniard already in 2005, hit back to level at 4-4. Federer took another confident step closer to becoming only the sixth man to win all four Grand Slams when he outclassed Romania's Victor Hanescu 6-2, 7-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. The result marks the 23-year-old's best ever performance at Roland Garros where he had failed to get beyond the third round in his last three visits. Federer has yet to drop a set in the tournament so far and although the unseeded Hanescu, playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final clash, did his best to make a fight of it in the second set, he was made to look every bit the world number 90.
|
|
