HAMBURG: Top-seeded Roger Federer cruised past Czech qualifier Jan Hajek 6-4, 6-3 to reach the German Tennis Championships quarterfinals on Thursday.
The four-time Hamburg champion is playing his first tournament since losing in the second round of Wimbledon.
Federer used only three of 13 break points and needed six match points to close out the match. He did it with his seventh ace, shortly after producing a spectacular overhead smash winner with a flick of the wrist while stepping back in the final game.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion needed five set points to end the first set, finally earning it when Hajek netted a forehand.
Federer has dropped to No. 5, his lowest ranking in a decade. He will next play either Florian Mayer of Germany or Feliciano Lopez of Spain.
Second-seeded Tommy Haas also advanced by beating Carlos Berlocq of Argentina 6-2, 6-4.
The German led 5-2 in the second set but dropped serve. He then wasted two match points on Berlocq’s serve before using his fourth to close out the second-round encounter, hitting a cross-court forehand winner. Berlocq won his maiden title in Bastad, Sweden, last week.
Juan Monaco, the fifth-seeded Argentine who beat Haas for the Hamburg title last year, defeated ninth-seeded Benoit Paire of France 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
Haas next plays Fabio Fognini of Italy, who beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-2, 6-4. Fognini won his first title last week in Stuttgart and beat Haas in the quarterfinals.
Monaco plays third-seeded Nicolas Almagro, who beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-3.
Fourth-seeded Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz of Poland was forced to retire with a right arm injury, allowing 14th-seeded Fernando Verdasco to advance. The Spaniard, who was leading 7-5, 4-0, will next play Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis, who beat Dmitry Tursunov of Russia 6-4, 6-3.
Williams into last eight at Swedish Open
In Bastad, Sweden, world No. 1 Serena Williams survived a late second set hiccup to move into the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili.
The American star remains unbeaten on clay this season after winning 25 straight matches including a perfect run on the way to her second French Open title and 16th Grand Slam singles crown in June.
She now faces 32-year-old Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino who came into the tournament ranked 54 in the world and seeking a third WTA victory, both on clay.
Williams was cruising after sealing the first set and easing into a 5-0 second set lead before wasting three match points and finally closing out the match 6-3.
“I’ve had a lot of time here but I’ve actually been spending a lot of time in the room, just staying focused on the event,” Williams said.
“My main goal is to do well here. I love this city, but I really love the fans, and I feel like I want to do the best that I can here. I’m staying really focused, Grand Slam style.”
The other quarter-final match-ups feature Dutch hope Richel Hogenkamp against Czech Republic third seed Klara Zakopalova while French veteran Virginie Razzano takes on Italy’s Flavia Penneta.
Pennetta was 2-0 up in the final set against second seed Simona Halep in their second round match before the Romanian retired injured.
The final last eight tie sees the only Swedish player remaing in the draw, eighth seeded Johanna Larsson taking on Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson.
