By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, November 1, 2018
Roger Federer launched his quest for his 100th career title with a 6-4, 6-3, sweep of Fabio Fognini in his first Rolex Paris Masters match in three years.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Applause showered Roger Federer as he stepped on court for his first Rolex Paris Masters match in three years.
Searching for rhythm on serve at that outset, Federer found his timing to tame Fabio Fognini, 6-4, 6-3, and charge into the Paris quarterfinals.
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The Australian Open champion burst out to a 4-1 double-break lead then withstood some patches of shot-making from Fognini improving to 45-7 on the season.
The first match of the week for both Federer and Fognini featured sudden momentum shifts.
The Swiss' superior second serve was the key shot at crunch time as Fognini spit up two double faults surrendering serve in the final game.
"I think it was not that bad. I think that since we didn't have any match together, Fabio and myself, it was actually quite strange," Federer told the media in Paris. "It is important to find the right path. I served better than him at important moments. This was actually the key of the match.
"This is the indoor effect. This is what is crucial in a match is who serves better. And it was me today, I think. He didn't start well as well, which is always a bad thing for him."
Federer will face either 10th-seeded Kei Nishikori or the man who knocked him out of Wimbledon, seventh-seeded Kevin Anderson, for a trip to the semifinals and possible shot at a streaking Novak Djokovic.
Fresh off his 99th career title run in Basel on Sunday, Federer took a walkover from Milos Raonic into today's opener, while Fognini was a walkover recipient from Marton Fucsovics.
Consequently, both Fognini and Federer took some time at the outset to adjust to the court conditions, balls and the limited response time as both men possess a shared skill for straddling the baseline and ripping shots on the rise.
A rest day courtesy of Raonic was exactly what Federer needed to ease late-season aches and pains that can wrack a 37-year-old body after a week of tournament play.
"It was a good piece of news," Federer said of his walkover. "I just had more time to warm up this morning, to practice, and I exchanged quite a lot of balls. I had played quite a bit already. I would have liked to play...
"As far as I'm concerned, it was welcome because my body needed it. I needed an extra day and this is what I got. It was a lot of luck. And with the winter day, then it's a double positive effect, if I may say."
Challenging the Federer forehand, Fognini paid the price in the third game.
A running forehand strike down the line helped the Swiss earned triple break point.
Jolting the Italian with a crackling forehand, Federer banged out the break for 2-1.
The third seed slid an ace backing up the break in the fourth game.
Neither man yields much ground from the baseline, which makes the first-strike vital.
Quick off the mark, Federer caught up to a drop shot and slid a backhand pass down the line during a seven-minute fourth game.
Unsettling his opponent with shifting series of spins, Federer drove the ball hard into Fognini's hip drawing a netted replay to seal his second straight break.
The 13th-seeded Fognini has fast hands, a mischievious flair for angles and redirects drive with precision when he's timing the ball well. Dragging a superb full-stretch backhand down the line, Fognini broke back in the sixth game then confirmed the break for 3-4.
Serving for the set, a skittish Federer slapped successive double faults, eventually falling into a double-break point hole. Fognini netted a second-serve return on the first break point and Federer backed up another second serve with aggression to erase the second break point.
Sliding a stinging serve out wide, Federer calmed a threatening storm serving out the set.
Recognizing attacking opportunities, Federer first stretched Fognini then finished with a fine backhand drop volley for break point in the fifth game of the second set. The ability to amp up his drives and rock Fognini with sudden surges in pace proved key for Federer, who blistered the ball breaking for 3-2.
The 2011 champion survived his sloppiest game of the set digging out of a double-break point hole to hold for 5-3.
That was Fognini's last gasp.
The theatrical Italian double faulted on two of the last three points, including on match point, as Federer completed a triumphant Paris return in one hour, 12 minutes. Federer topped Fognini for the fourth time in as many meetings, sweeping all 10 sets they've played.
In a week of transition where Novak Djokovic will succeed Rafael Nadal and regain the world No. 1 ranking on Monday, Federer asserts he isn't in Paris to win, he says he's here to prepare for London.
"I didn't come here to win Paris, actually, straight away," Federer said. "My objective is London. If I can do well here in Paris and beat [Djokovic], all the better. But I'm not there yet. We'll see. We'll just wait and see."