Federer’s 1,000th match ends in victory
Four-time champion Roger Federer beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday to advance to the Australian Open semifinals for the ninth consecutive year.
It was a fitting conclusion to the 1,000th match for the Swiss tennis star, who is currently the world number three.
Federer needed just under two hours for his win in Melbourne, which saw the Argentine Del Potro broken early in all three sets and a rich variety of play from Federer. The Swiss has yet to lose a set during the tournament.
“I thought it was a great match,” said Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam champion. “I’m happy. It was tough, with the sun and shade creeping across the court. Del Potro is a quality player and I was able to manoeuvre the ball around the court. I hope I can keep it up.”
It was the first meeting between Federer and Del Potro since the Argentine won a five-set US Open final between the two men in 2009.
Federer will face the world number two, Rafael Nadal of Spain, in the semifinals. Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in a thrilling four-set match 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday evening.
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