Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal began with fighting victories at the ATP Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday to take the first step towards another showdown on cement.
CINCINNATI: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal began with fighting victories at the ATP Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday to take the first step towards another showdown on cement.
Defending champion Federer, fresh from his seventh trophy of the season last weekend in Toronto, took a few games to click into gear before rolling past Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan 7-5, 6-4.
The victory was the third in the series for the Swiss top seed, who has now won 55 straight matches on North American hardcourt while maintaining a win streak of 18 matches.
The 25-year-old world-beater stands 85-2 on hardcourts over the last two seasons as he heads into a Wednesday confrontation with Scottish teenager Andy Murray, who ousted England’s Tim Henman for the second week in a row.
Second seed Nadal outlasted American teen Sam Querrey 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 but struggled with the mental side after last week’s third-round loss in Canada. Also winning his opener at the $2.45-million warm-up event for the US Open was Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic.
The fourth seed eliminated Britain’s Greg Rusedski 6-3 6-4. Rusedski’s compatriot Murray continued the changing of the guard in British tennis, defeating former British number one Henman 4-6 6-4 7-5 in another first-round match.
It was the second victory in as many weeks for Murray, who beat his boyhood idol in the second round at Toronto last week. Henman was one victory shy of also meeting Murray in a Washington semifinal two weeks ago.
“It’s called the luck of the draw,” Henman said of facing the teenager so soon. “It happens sometimes. That’s how it goes.”
Spain’s Tommy Robredo beat Toronto finalist Richard Gasquet 7-5 7-5 while 2005 finalist and 2003 winner Andy Roddick put aside a lingering injury to advance over Italian Daniele Bracciali 6-7(6) 7-6(4) 7-6(5). Roddick took a precautionary timeout in the second set as he felt some pain from the rib muscle tear he suffered last month in Los Angeles.
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