HAMBURG, Germany, 14 May 2005 — World No. 1 Roger Federer swept through to the Hamburg Masters semifinals with a resilient 6-4 7-6 victory over Argentina’s Guillermo Coria yesterday.
The 23-year-old top seed, who also beat Coria in last year’s Hamburg final, was a break down in both sets and behind in the tiebreak but recovered to quell the 10th seed and set up a semi-final against Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Federer, attempting to win the only grand slam title missing from his collection at the French Open starting in 10 days, punched the air in delight after lashing a forehand winner past Coria on match point.
“It’s a message from me to the other guys for the French Open,” said the Swiss who missed last week’s Rome Masters with a foot injury. “I feel I’m back to very good form on clay.”
Federer trailed 3-1 in the first set before unleashing some devastating backhands to help turn it around. He broke decisively at 5-4 with Coria, last year’s French Open runner-up, twice hitting forehands out to lose the set.
The second set was interrupted for five minutes with Coria trailing 2-3 after a spectator fell ill in the stands, and the incident seemed to break Federer’s concentration.
A careless forehand gave Coria break point soon after and, riding his luck, the Argentine mis-hit a forehand on to the line to lead 4-3.
Federer broke back for 5-5, however, and took the tiebreak 7-3 after overturning a 0-2 deficit as a tired-looking Coria, beaten in five sets in the Rome final last Sunday, lost his nerve under pressure.
“I’m tired mentally and physically,” he said. “If you are not 100 percent against Federer it’s pretty much impossible to beat him.”
Federer has now won 39 of his 41 matches this year and together with in-form Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal, who missed the Hamburg event due to a hand blister, is the favorite for the French Open crown.
Davydenko, the world number 20, overcame Italy’s Filippo Volandri 7-6 6-4.
The soft-serving Italian was furious after he lost the first set tiebreak 7-5 when his forehand was called out on set point despite replays suggesting it clipped the line.
Davydenko, a semifinalist at Barcelona last month, recovered from 3-0 down in the second set to win six of the next seven games with a combination of deft drop shots and the occasional precise lob.
Sharapova Cruises Into Semifinals
In Rome, Maria Sharapova closed in on the world No. 1 spot when she reached the Rome Masters semifinals with a 6-2 6-2 win over Elena Bovina yesterday.
The 18-year-old Russian, top seed in the Italian capital, will replace Lindsay Davenport at the top of the rankings if she triumphs this week.
Earlier, defending champion Amelie Mauresmo crushed four-times winner Conchita Martinez 6-1 6-2 to set up a last four clash against another Russian, Vera Zvonareva, who edged out Italian Francesca Schiavone 7-5 7-6.
Sharapova was rarely stretched by the ninth seed. She simply outgunned her compatriot, moving her around the court with low, flat groundstrokes and firing back serve return winners to break in the sixth and eighth games and take the first set.
Having held off three break points against her serve early in the second set, Sharapova lashed a return down the line to go 4-2 up, then held to close out the contest.
