Madrid win sets Federer up for Rome rematch
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer seemed to find his form again with a convincing win over fellow countryman Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-1 at the Madrid Open.
The win sets up the world’s number one player for a quarter-final rematch on Friday against Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who sent Federer home with a defeat early in the Rome Masters two weeks ago.
Wawrinka, ranked 23rd in the world standings, managed to break Federer in the first game but otherwise failed to carry out any real threats against his opponent.
For his part, Federer mounted his best performance of the year on clay, typically not his strongest surface.
Spanish rival Rafael Nadal and Briton Andy Murray have also advanced to the quarter-finals in Madrid. Nadal, the world’s number three player, now faces Gael Monfils of France, while fourth ranked Murray faces David Ferrer of Spain.
Serb Novak Djokovic, the world’s number two, had pulled out of the tournament after suffering breathing problems during a tournament in Belgrade.
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