The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Federer to clash with Gasquet for title

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 14, 2006

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Sport - Tennis

Federer to clash with Gasquet for title

TORONTO: World No. 1 Roger Federer fended off a tenacious challenge from Fernando Gonzalez, downing the 15th-seeded Chilean 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 to reach the Toronto Masters Series final on Saturday.

It wasn't exactly the Federer Express, but the top seed 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 breakpoints 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 and 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 ousts Murray

Earlier, 20-year-Gasquet 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.

Gasquet won his first meeting with Federer in last year's Monte Carlo quarterfinals but has lost all four encounters since, including a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 setback in the first round at Wimbledon.

Paes-Damm surrender

Meanwhile, Leander Paes and his Czech partner Martin Damm squandered early advantage as they lost to the Australian-Zimbabwean pair of Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett 6-3, 3-6, 4-10 in the doubles semifinals.

The Indo-Czech pair, which made an excellent start by running away with the first set, lost the momentum midway to crash out of the tournament.

Sharapova's streak ends

Third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva ended Maria Sharapova's California hot streak, beating the top seed 7-5, 6-2 to reach the final of the $600,000 JP Morgan Chase Open on Saturday.

Sharapova, ranked fourth in the world, had returned to action for the first time since Wimbledon to lift the title in San Diego in convincing style last week, and reached the semifinals here without dropping a set.

But Dementieva avenged straight-set losses to Sharapova earlier this year in the final at Indian Wells and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, giving herself a chance to claim her first title since Tokyo in February.

In the final she'll face Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Montenegro, who ousted seven-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams 6-4, 6-3.

The results:

At Toronto (ATP Rogers Cup): Semifinals: Roger Federer bt Fernando Gonzalez 6-1, 5-7, 6-3; Richard Gasquet bt Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5. Doubles: Mike Bryan & Bob Bryan bt Mark Knowles & Daniel Nestor 6-3, 6-7(6), 10-5; Paul Hanley & Kevin Ullyett bt Leander Paes & Martin Damm 3-6, 6-4, 10-4.

At Carson (WTA JP 0Morgan Chase Open): Semifinals: Elena Dementieva bt Maria Sharapova 7-5, 6-2; Jelena Jankovic bt Serena Williams 6-4, 6-3. — Agencies

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