Federer, Djokovic to meet in semis
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 14 years, 6 months AGO
PARIS (AP) - Quickly and rather quietly, Roger Federer is back in the French Open semifinals.
There will be absolutely nothing low-key - or, it seems safe to say, easy - about what comes next for the 16-time Grand Slam champion: a showdown against Novak Djokovic, who is 41-0 this year and unbeaten in his last 43 matches overall.
With attention focused elsewhere, perhaps in part because some assume his best days are behind him, the no-fuss, no-muss Federer simply has won all 15 sets he's played so far, capped Tuesday by a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3) quarterfinal victory over No. 9-seeded Gael Monfils of France.
"For me, the plan is trying to get a step further and into the finals of the French Open," said Federer, who won the 2009 title at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam but lost in the quarterfinals a year ago. "At the end of the day, that's, for me, the big picture, and that's why I entered the French Open. It wasn't to stop Novak."
Nevertheless, their semifinal is sure to be the talk of the tennis world until it's played Friday.
For Djokovic - who didn't need to exert himself Tuesday, because his quarterfinal opponent, Fabio Fognini, withdrew Monday with an injured left leg - a victory over Federer would guarantee a rise to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time. It also would make the second-seeded Serb 42-0 in 2011, tying John McEnroe in 1984 for the best start to a season in the Open era, which began in 1968. And it would put Djokovic one win from his first French Open title.
Five-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal faces two-time runner-up Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals today.
Today's other men's quarterfinal is No. 4 Andy Murray against unseeded Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina. Playing with a torn tendon in his right ankle, Murray won the last five games to finish off a 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 comeback victory over No. 15 Viktor Troicki of Serbia in a fourth-round match suspended Monday night because of darkness.
In the womens bracket, No. 5 Francesca Schiavone of Italy, the defending champion, came back after losing 10 of the first 12 games and beat No. 14 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 1-6, 7-5, 7-5. On Thursday, Schiavone will meet No. 11 Marion Bartoli of France, who defeated No. 13 Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, the 2009 champion, 7-6 (4), 6-4.