Roger Federer Wins In Madrid Tennis 10sBalls • David Ferrer Fends Off Retirement

Swiss player Roger Federer in action during his first round match against France’s Richard Gasquet at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, 07 May 2019. EPA-EFE/KIKO HUESCA

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Roger Federer’s return to clay was a victorious one, as the 37-year-old Swiss took care of a hobbled Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-3 in the Mutua Madrid Open second round on Tuesday night. Federer fired seven aces while double-faulting only once and did not face a single break point while cruising in just 52 minutes.

 

It was Federer’s first match on clay since the 2016 Rome Masters.

 

“I mean I think it was a good match,” the No. 4 seed said. “It’s nice to back on the clay; I’m happy to be here. It didn’t feel like it had been that long. Practice had been going well, and of course I grew up on this surface…. Full house; special atmosphere.”

 

The atmosphere was also electric for an all-Spanish affair between good friends and occasional doubles partners David Ferrer and Roberto Bautista Agut. Ferrer is retiring in Madrid, but he prolonged his career with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory that required two hours and 36 minutes.

 

Bautista Agut broke back twice in the third set, but his 37-year-old opponent delivered clutch service holds at 4-3 and 5-4 to consolidate his third break. Next up for Ferrer is familiar fore Alexander Zverev, whom the veteran just defeated in Miami.

 

Other winners on Tuesday were Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka, Fabio Fognini, Lucas Pouille, and Hubert Hurkacz.

 

Draw
Novak Djokovic…..d. Fritz

Jeremy Chardy…..d. Ramos-Vinolas
Diego Schwartzman…..d. Cecchinato

Marin Cilic…..d. Struff

Laslo Djere…..d. Lajovic
Juan Martin Del Potro

Roger Federer…..d. Gasquet

Marton Fucsovics…..d. Goffin
Gael Monfils…..d. Seppi

Fabio Fognini…..d. Edmund
John Millman…..d. Johnson

Reilly Opelka…..d. Carreno Busta
Dominic Thiem

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Adrian Mannarino…..d. Sousa

Fernando Verdasco…..d. AlbotKaren Khachanov…..d. Munar

Lucas Pouille…..d. Coric
Hubert Hurkacz……d. de Minaur

David Ferrer…..d. Bautista Agut
Alexander Zverev

Kei Nishikori
Hugo Dellien…..d. Simon

Stan Wawrinka…..d. Herbert
Guido Pella…..d. Medvedev

Frances Tiafoe…..d. Basilashvili
Philipp Kohlschreiber…..d. Kukushkin

Felix Auger-Aliassime…..d. Shapovalov
Rafael Nadal

 

Seeds
1. Novak Djokovic: vs. Schwartzman/Chardy winner in R3
2. Rafael Nadal: vs. Auger-Aliassime in R2
3. Alexander Zverev: vs. Ferrer in R2
4. Roger Federer: vs. Monfils/Fucsovics winner in R3
5. Dominic Thiem: vs. Opelka in R26. Kei Nishikori: vs. Dellien in R2
7. Juan Martin Del Potro: vs. Djere in R2
8. Stefanos Tsitsipas: vs. Mannarino in R2
9. Marin Cilic: vs. Del Potro/Djere winner in R3
10. Fabio Fognini: vs. Millman in R2
11. Karen Khachanov: vs. Verdasco in R2
12. Daniil Medvedev: l. to Pella in R1
13. Borna Coric: l. to Pouille in R1
14. Nikoloz Basilashvili: l. to Tiafoe in R1
15. Gael Monfils: vs. Fucsovics in R2
16. Marco Cecchinato: l. to Schwartzman in R1

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

 

Spain’s David Ferrer in action during his first round match against compatriot Roberto Bautista at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, 07 May 2019. EPA-EFE/JUANJO MARTIN