Roger produced a truck load of jaw-dropping tennis at the French Open today as he brushed aside Tommy Robredo 7-5 1-6 6-1 6-2 to sweep into the French Open semi-finals. "It's never easy to play Tommy especially on clay, it's his favourite surface," Roger said. "Sadly, I had too many errors in the second set but overall it was a good test."
"I don't lose sets 6-1 that often, you know," Federer said, "so you're like, 'Oh, come on.”
Robredo looked at his mini-victory this way: "It was as if I had said, 'Hello! Wake up!"
"In the second set, for some reason, I just couldn't really figure out how to play him or the way I want to play him," Federer said. "I didn't figure it out 
He just started playing so good," said Robredo, who won his first career match against Federer back in 2002 but has lost the eight meetings since.
"Not looking for excuses, but you know, it was windy. And I didn't play well in that set, that's for sure," Federer said.
"But he played solid. Didn't miss much. Used his forehand very well."
Federer also acknowledged a strategic error, saying he was "hitting too flat instead of looping the ball a bit more and using the wind."The match started in familiar fashion, with Roger racing into a 2-0 lead as he put on his serious game face on the Court Chatrier.
But credit to Robredo, who dug in and managed to break back to level things up at 2-2.
The remainder of the set went to serve, until Roger typically, upped his game at 5-5 to break and ultimately take the first set 7-5.
Then our star's form dipped dramatically and he landed just 28% of his first serves in a second set he lost convincingly. It was the first set Roger had lost at a Grand Slam since the final of the US Open last year, an 11-match-in-a-row record he shared with John McEnroe.
Roger then clearly shifted a gear, sending his winners whistling around the Chatrier Court like bullets in a Wild West shoot-out. He clearly underlined that he is in great shape on any surface.
Roger will next face Nikolay Davydenko, the Russian fourth seed. Go, Roger!
June 8, 2007 - Semifinals:ROGER REACHES THE FINAL!
Roger is just one step away! He reached his eighth straight Grand Slam final today with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7) win over fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko at the French Open.
Roger is just one step away! He reached his eighth straight Grand Slam final today with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7) win over fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko at the French Open."It was one of the toughest matches I have ever played,” Roger said after his ninth victory in series against Davydenko.
“It was very close and I could just as well have lost in three sets. I am extremely happy with this result.”
Roger is hoping to win a first Roland Garros title to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the Grand Slam – four consecutive grand slam titles – a feat he acknowledged "would boost my career in an incredible way". Should Nadal win his semi-final it would certainly be the match of the year because of the stakes.
"If [Federer] wins the French Open, he'll be the greatest player of all time," said John McEnroe, who knows how much frustration clay can cause. McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg are among the grand slam champions who never won the French Open.
In beating Davydenko, Roger has reached his eighth consecutive major final, breaking the record he shared with Jack Crawford (1933-34). He has won 27 consecutive grand slam matches, three shy of the record Laver set in 1969-70. Roger’s last loss was the one to Nadal
last year.
last year.Way to go, Roger!
Just a comment:
I've watched live on TV the Semifinals match and it's really a tight-hand gripping, breath-taking match I've ever seen. I mean, it's really a tough one! I even thought that Federer will lose against Davydenko..luckily he got back on track and finished the match on 3 sets!
Finals against Nadal will be shown live tomorrow (Sunday) at Solar Sports ch. 35. I'm too excited for it! Watch it live! (.^__^.)
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