Federer flattens Fucsovics to succeed in quarter-finals

Roger Federer once more recovered from a poor opening set to progress to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.

The 20-time grand slam champion lifted his sport after a sluggish begin to beat Marton Fucsovics 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 on Rod Laver Enviornment.

Federer battled again from the brink in spherical three to defeat John Millman in a final-set tie-break, and lots of have been left questioning whether or not taking part in greater than 4 hours and ending at 0048 native time on Friday would take its toll.

He definitely appeared a number of steps off the tempo in a lacklustre first set, however Federer duly responded to provide a few of his finest tennis of the match to assert his 101st Australian Open match win towards the world quantity 67.

Federer will face Tennys Sandgren within the final eight, with a semi-final showdown towards Novak Djokovic nonetheless on the horizon.

Into the #AusOpen quarter-finals for a th time!@rogerfederer defeats Fucsovics 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 to make the final eight in Melbourne  pic.twitter.com/JwMrsHvbrA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 26, 2020

Too many wayward photographs noticed Federer quit the primary set to Millman, and Sunday’s match adopted an analogous sample as Fucsovics threatened an upset.

The Hungarian appeared untroubled by the Federer backhand slice and regarded snug when buying and selling blows from the baseline earlier than breaking in sport seven after a sequence of errors from the Swiss.

With the group clearly left uneasy by his pedestrian begin, Federer raced into management of the second set, holding to like and breaking for the primary time when Fucsovics despatched a forehand lengthy.

Having survived a scare on serve, Federer moved 5-1 forward after a helpful web twine earlier than serving out the set with extra customary precision.

By now in full movement, Federer started the third with a showcase of his selection, a thumping winner and a chic drop shot – each from the backhand – teeing up a break that Fucsovics handed to him with a foolhardy slice.

Two break factors got here and went for Fucsovics after a superb Federer forehand yielded probably the most emphatic fist-pump of the night from the 38-year-old, whose motion throughout the courtroom belied the marathon match he performed simply 48 hours earlier.

That feeling while you get a break again however then get damaged once more 

Federer leads Fucsovics 5-2 within the third set.#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/8mYfwukhH0

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2020

Fucsovics did transfer again to 4-2 after a unfastened sport from Federer, however he mistakenly let a mishit lob land on the road handy again one other break, and the six-time champion closed out with a crisp volley.

With all the things falling into place for Federer – he was even 4 from 4 on Hawk-Eye challenges – Fucsovics misplaced coronary heart as a primary double fault of the match and a few overhit floor strokes left him 2-5 down.

Fucsovics had appeared troubled by the strain of his racket strings because the night waned, however there was no such nervousness inside the packed crowd, the roars a becoming strategy to finish Australia Day as Fucsovics despatched a forehand into the online on the third match level.

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN 
Roger Federer [3] bt Marton Fucsovics 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS 
Federer – 44/36
Fucsovics – 15/35

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS 
Federer – 5/0
Fucsovics – 1/1

BREAK POINTS WON 
Federer – 7/12
Fucsovics – 2/9

FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE 
Federer – 61
Fucsovics – 47

PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE 
Federer – 76/53
Fucsovics – 57/53

TOTAL POINTS 
Federer – 109
Fucsovics – 83

Modified 26 Jan 2020, 18:24 IST