By Chris Oddo | Thursday April 14, 2016
Roger Federer made light work of Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals.
Photo Source: Michael Steele/Getty
Close observers agree: Roger Federer has not lost a step.
The world No. 3 has picked up his fine form seamlessly in Monte-Carlo, showing no visible signs of rust just two months after knee surgery. Federer eased past Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut on Thursday for his 1,069th career win, 6-2, 6-4, leaving him just two shy of Ivan Lendl for second-most all-time.
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He did it convincingly, never allowing his opponent a chance to pose any serious threat.
The four-time Monte-Carlo finalist earned his third break point of a tense fifth game in the first set with a stellar backhand pass into an open corner of the court. He would convert the break on the next point when the Spaniard air-mailed a backhand well long of the baseline.
Two games later Federer broke again after a clean forehand winner kissed the line to give him two more break points for a 5-2 lead. He drew the Bautista error with a chip-and-charge (Federer won 18 of 25 net forays on the day), and served out the opening set in the next game, rifling an ace down the T to close.
Bautista Agut has yet to win a set against Federer in five encounters now, but the No. 14 seed offered some early resistance in set two, forcing Federer to wiggle out of a triple-break-point scenario to hold for 1-all. Federer would do just that with timely serving and baseline play before notching the critical break at love in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead.
Bautista Agut had his chance on the first of those three break points when he had a good look at a Federer second serve, but he was outlasted by Federer in a long rally and eventually produced a backhand error.
Federer hit first serves and controlled the point on the next two break points and did not face another all afternoon.
After breaking for 5-4 the 34-year-old Swiss closed the match in the next game when he converted a backhand stop volley that Bautista could not even chase. Federer improves to 10-2 on the season and reaches the 30-win plateau at Monte-Carlo. He finished with 29 winners to just 8 for Bautista Agut (each had 21 unforced errors) and he saved all three break points he faced while winning 26 of 33 first-serve points.
The Swiss will move on to face either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Lucas Pouille in the quarterfinals.
Also victorious on a busy Thursday in the Principality was Gael Monfils. The Frenchman has now reached the quarterfinals of all three Masters 1000 events of the season after he drubbed Jiri Vesely, 6-1, 6-2.