An Artist on all surfaces, Mr. Effortless - Roger Federer

[ajithfederer]

Both players

[Puliyan_Biryani]

Thalai jeyichuttaaru but 5 sets . Lull 'em into a false sense of security and catch 'em (you-know-who) unawares tactic maadhiri irukku .

[Plum]

oh puipamnum sollalAmA?

[Puliyan_Biryani]

Final varaikkum ellaa match-um dominate panni paathaaru, raasi illai. adhanaala ippo pudhu chatterjee potturukkaaru. appadidhaan maintenance pannanum Plum .

[ajithfederer]

RRoger leads 5-2 in the opening set against Xavier Malisse.

[ajithfederer]

First set 6-3 to roger.

[omega]

Takes second 6-3 as well. Roger playing pretty ordinarily...

[ajithfederer]

Federer sets new Australian Open record
Friday, 21 January, 2011
By Darren Saligari

Today four-time champion and 2009 finalist Roger Federer overtook Stefan Edberg, one of his idols growing up, as the player who has won the most Australian Open matches.

"It's very nice, but he still stays my idol," Federer, who has won 57 matches in Melbourne to Edberg's 56, laughed.

The Fed Express kept his title defence on track with a straight sets, 6-3 6-3 6-1 win over Belgian Xavier Malisse in one hour and 45 minutes at Rod Laver Arena, but it wasn't vintage Federer. In fact, record aside, it's probably a match that Federer will be happy he won but not one that he'll show his kids when his playing days are over.

"The first two sets almost didn't reflect how tough it could have been. Or how tough it was. I think that maybe broke his will a little bit because he was up 3 1 in the second I think it was. Then I was able to come back," said Federer.

Unlike Argentine David Nalbandian, who pulled out of his third-round match citing illness, Federer said he wasn't feeling the ill-effects of his five-set stoush with Frenchman Gilles Simon on Wednesday night.

"I'm okay today, and I'm happy I was able to come through it. Surely not the easiest thing to come back after a five setter, but I managed. I'm sure that another day of rest is going to do me good."

At times the 2010 champion seemed distracted as he worked his way through a third-round match against an opponent he was playing for the ninth time after first encountering each other in 1999. Several times the Swiss ace chastised himself for simple errors and in one bizarre return attempt, he stepped behind the ball, crouched down and then held up his racquet in front of his face to deflect the ball. Suffice to say, the ball didn't make it over the net.

Breaks came early and regularly for the Swiss ace, who gave Malisse an early heads up on how the match was going to play out when he broke him in the second game of the match. The world No.2 raced to a 4-0 lead off the back of some pinpoint stroke-making and superior movement. But then a level of complacency appeared to creep into his game.

Malisse got his first game on the board - a break of the Federer serve. At one point, the second seed missed a routine overhead smash, clipping the tape and sending the ball wide. Not the usual clinical finish that Federer, who sat atop the rankings for 285 weeks, is known for.

Despite making six more unforced errors than his opponent, Federer compensated for this by hitting 20 more winners than Malisse. The difference in winners was also reflected in break point opportunities. Federer converted seven of his 17 chances, while Malisse had fewer chances to break but managed to cash in two of his three shots at breaking the Federer serve.

The second set saw Malisse break for a 3-1 lead, a turn of events that woke Federer from his slumber.

His response was as immediate as it was brutal - Federer broke the Belgian to love with a mix of elegant winners and ground strokes that were too hot for Malisse to handle. It started a run of 10 consecutive games for Federer who closed out the second set 6-3 before taking a 5-0 lead in the third set.

By now the match was all but over, but Malisse had one shot left to fire. The Belgian held serve in the sixth game of the third set and took a bow, much to the delight of the Rod Laver Arena crowd.

The Swiss ace put an end to proceedings the next game, finishing with a trademark flourish - a forehand down the line - a shot that easily fell into the vintage Federer class.

Federer now faces Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the fourth round for a spot in the quarterfinals.

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/...ht=61&width=55

[omega]

Roger takes the first set against Robredo breaking once 6-3.
Surprisingly Fed looks really tired right from the start of the match.
May be the heat factor. Hopefully this should be the last day match for him.....

[omega]

Robredo breaks Fed in the second set & will serve for the set.
Lot of errors have started to creep into Rogers game.