HAMBURG, Germany, 15 May 2005 — Top seed Roger Federer shrugged off a sleepy start to beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4 in the Hamburg Masters yesterday, setting up a rematch with French teenager Richard Gasquet in the final.
Defending champion Federer lost the first two games and saved break points to avoid going 3-0 down at the Rothenbaum before rousing himself to outplay the world number 20 with a beguiling mix of fierce groundstrokes and deft drop shots. Qualifier Gasquet, the 18-year-old Frenchman who upset Federer in the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals last month, thrashed Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-1, 6-1 to reach his second ATP Tour final.
Federer also made a poor start in his quarterfinal win over Guillermo Coria on Friday and the world No. 1 admitted it was a habit he needed to break with the French Open, the sole grand slam he has yet to win, only nine days away.
Davydenko double faulted to lose serve early in the second set and Federer took full advantage, confirming victory with a crunching forehand winner after 71 minutes on centre court.
He is attempting to win his sixth ATP Tour title of the season yesterday.
Like Rochus, Gasquet had to qualify for the event but that was where the similarity ended.
The 18-year-old, who lost to Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the Monte Carlo semifinals after his win over Federer, clubbed his lightweight Belgian opponent into submission in a 56-minute exhibition of power tennis.
Federer had three match points before losing to the teenager 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 in Monte Carlo and said he was looking forward to their rematch.
Schnyder Derails Sharapova in Rome
Eighth seed Patty Schnyder derailed Maria Sharapova’s bid to claim the world No. 1 spot when she beat the Russian 3-6, 6-3 6-1 to reach the final of the Rome Masters yesterday.
The 18-year-old top seed was aiming to replace Lindsay Davenport at the head of the rankings by triumphing in the Italian capital, but struggled to find her rhythm as her Swiss opponent mixed up the pace and spin on her shots.
Schnyder now faces defending champion Amelie Mauresmo who earlier brushed aside another Russian, Vera Zvonareva, 6-2, 6-4.
