Federer beats Coria in Hamburg, again

Tommy · 05-13-05, 04:00 PM

Hamburg, Germany (Sports Network) - In a rematch of last year's final, Swiss Roger Federer once again topped Argentine Guillermo Coria, this time in quarterfinal action at the Hamburg Masters.

The top-seeded/world No. 1 Federer got past the 10th-seeded Coria 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) Friday at Rothenbaum. Coria reached the last two finals here, including a big victory in 2003.

Federer sprayed 42 winners on Friday and overcame a 3-5 deficit in the second set to advance. He is now 2-0 lifetime against Coria, as the sublime Swiss prevailed in four sets in last year's marquee Hamburg championship match.

Coria lost to high-flying Spaniard Rafael Nadal in last week's Italian Masters final, as Nadal won in five sets after more than five hours of dramatic tennis at Rome's Foro Italico. Coria also gave way to Nadal in the Monte-Carlo Masters final last month.

The 2004 French Open finalist Coria is now 14-2 in Hamburg, which serves as a clay-court tuneup for Roland Garros.

The mighty Federer, the reigning U.S. Open, Masters Cup and two-time Wimbledon champ, moved to 18-3 in Hamburg, including another title here in 2002.

Federer is now a brilliant 39-2 overall this year, including a co-ATP-leading five titles. He is seeking his sixth title in his last 10 Masters Series events, having captured Masters Series shields at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this season.

Federer's semifinal opponent on Saturday will be 15th-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko, a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 winner against Italian Filippo Volandri. Davydenko will appear in his first career Masters Series semi.

Davydenko is 0-5 lifetime against his fellow 23-year-old Federer, including an 0-2 mark this year.

In Friday's other quarterfinal action, Belgian Christophe Rochus fought back to surprise Argentine clay-courter Juan Ignacio Chela 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 and promising French teen Richard Gasquet throttled Italian and fellow qualifier Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-2 in 52 minutes. The 18-year-old Gasquet shocked the great Federer last month in a quarterfinal in Monte-Carlo, which marked the Frenchman's first ATP event of 2005.

Gasquet will battle his fellow qualifier Rochus in Saturday's other semi. The young Frenchman beat the Belgian on red clay in Acapulco last year in their only career meeting.

Gasquet will perform in his second Masters Series semi in a month, while the 26-year-old Rochus will compete in his first-ever Masters Series final four.

The winner of this $2.67 million tournament will claim $436,000.

05/13 15:53:50 ET

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05-13-05, 04:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tommy Now go get your shinebox Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sportscapper Island Posts: 15,068	Federer beats Coria in Hamburg, again Hamburg, Germany (Sports Network) - In a rematch of last year's final, Swiss Roger Federer once again topped Argentine Guillermo Coria, this time in quarterfinal action at the Hamburg Masters. The top-seeded/world No. 1 Federer got past the 10th-seeded Coria 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) Friday at Rothenbaum. Coria reached the last two finals here, including a big victory in 2003. Federer sprayed 42 winners on Friday and overcame a 3-5 deficit in the second set to advance. He is now 2-0 lifetime against Coria, as the sublime Swiss prevailed in four sets in last year's marquee Hamburg championship match. Coria lost to high-flying Spaniard Rafael Nadal in last week's Italian Masters final, as Nadal won in five sets after more than five hours of dramatic tennis at Rome's Foro Italico. Coria also gave way to Nadal in the Monte-Carlo Masters final last month. The 2004 French Open finalist Coria is now 14-2 in Hamburg, which serves as a clay-court tuneup for Roland Garros. The mighty Federer, the reigning U.S. Open, Masters Cup and two-time Wimbledon champ, moved to 18-3 in Hamburg, including another title here in 2002. Federer is now a brilliant 39-2 overall this year, including a co-ATP-leading five titles. He is seeking his sixth title in his last 10 Masters Series events, having captured Masters Series shields at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this season. Federer's semifinal opponent on Saturday will be 15th-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko, a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 winner against Italian Filippo Volandri. Davydenko will appear in his first career Masters Series semi. Davydenko is 0-5 lifetime against his fellow 23-year-old Federer, including an 0-2 mark this year. In Friday's other quarterfinal action, Belgian Christophe Rochus fought back to surprise Argentine clay-courter Juan Ignacio Chela 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 and promising French teen Richard Gasquet throttled Italian and fellow qualifier Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-2 in 52 minutes. The 18-year-old Gasquet shocked the great Federer last month in a quarterfinal in Monte-Carlo, which marked the Frenchman's first ATP event of 2005. Gasquet will battle his fellow qualifier Rochus in Saturday's other semi. The young Frenchman beat the Belgian on red clay in Acapulco last year in their only career meeting. Gasquet will perform in his second Masters Series semi in a month, while the 26-year-old Rochus will compete in his first-ever Masters Series final four. The winner of this $2.67 million tournament will claim $436,000. 05/13 15:53:50 ET powered by www.sportsnetwork.com.
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