Four-time former ATP World Tour Champion Roger Federer (pictured) began his quest for a 15th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy in fine fashion at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Wednesday, extending his winning streak to 5-0 over Italian Andreas Seppi with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in one hour and 23 minutes.
Federer improved to 21-8 lifetime at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, the venue of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament, where he is a three-time runner-up (2006-08). He made his tournament debut 10 years ago, when he lost to Vince Spadea in the first round.
“I thought I played okay,” said Federer. “I had a good stretch at the end of the first set, beginning of the second. Maybe could have made it easier for myself in the second. [I ] had some opportunities [and] he hung in there and I didn't play my best.
“I definitely think he didn't have a good serving day today. I like his style. He stays very easy on his backhand and on his forehand. There's no big upper body movement.”
The Swiss superstar struck four aces past Seppi and won 26 of 30 points on first service, saving two break points, to set up a third-round clash against his compatriot and No. 12 seed Stanislas Wawrinka. The pair captured the Olympic Games doubles gold medal for Switzerland in Beijing, China, in August 2008.
“Of course, I like to play against [Wawrinka],” said Federer. “I'm so happy he was able to take it to the next level last year, getting into the Top 10, finally sort of making the break.
“He was always a guy taking one step back, two steps forward. So it's nice to see him playing more consistently now on a regular basis. It's our first match on clay against each other. I'm excited to see how it's going to turn out.”
Federer has an 18-4 record on the season, highlighted by reaching the Australian Open (l. to Nadal) final. A winner of seven clay-court titles, the 27 year old has amassed an 85-14 record on clay courts over the past five years. Nine of his losses have come to his great rival Nadal.
Seppi, 25, dropped to 6-10 on the season after winning just 17 points on return of serve. His last ATP World Tour final appearance came at Gstaad (l. to Mathieu) in July 2007.
On Saturday, Federer married his long-time girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec in a low-key private ceremony in his hometown of Basel in Switzerland. The couple, who met during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, are expecting their first child in the summer.
Wawrinka, who reached the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome final (l. to Djokovic) in May 2008, survived a slow start to beat Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 in two hours and 35 minutes. The World No. 16 has a 10-6 record on the season.
“[It’s going to] be nice to play him on the centre court here, the clay-court," said Wawrinka of his clash with Federer. "I played him three times already. I always lost. But it was indoor and [a] hard-court. So it's [going to] be fun to play tomorrow.”
Elsewhere, eighth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko made a welcome return to the ATP World Tour circuit after a two-month absence.
The World No. 9 improved to 3-1 lifetime against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia with a 6-4, 6-3 win in one hour and 23 minutes. Karlovic hit eight aces and saved 12 of 16 break points, against an opponent who has struggled to overcome a left heel injury he sustained at Chennai, India, in January.
“My season starts from Monte Carlo, not from [the] Australian Open,” explained Davydenko. “I think every match if I win is good for me, very good for the future, for the next, next tournaments."
The 27-year-old Davydenko will next meet either 12th-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian or Marcel Granollers of Spain in the third round.
(From Website : http://www.atpworldtour.com/TENNIS/1/EN/NEWS/NEWSARTICLE_3151.ASP)
