Federer advances to Cincinnati Masters final

Posted 5:29PM on Saturday 20th August 2005 ( 19 years ago )

MASON, Ohio (AP) Heat. Wind. Thunder. Drizzle. Roger Federer took everything that the afternoon and Robby Ginepri, of Marietta, Ga., could throw at him, and found a way to overcome it. Federer rallied for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 semifinal victory Saturday in the $2.45 million Cincinnati Masters, leaving no doubt that the world's No. 1 player is back in form and ready for the U.S. Open's top spot. Federer will go for his ninth tournament title of the season Sunday, playing either third-seeded Lleyton Hewitt or fifth-seeded Andy Roddick. Either one will be hard-pressed to knock Federer off track he has won 21 consecutive finals. He took five weeks off after winning his third consecutive Wimbledon title, getting some rest and letting a sore foot heal. Federer was out of sync when he showed up in Cincinnati, looking to regain his edge and confidence. All he needed were a few matches to get both back. He extended his winning streak to 17 matches under trying conditions, facing an American who was on a summer-long roll and had the crowd behind him. They'd faced each other one other time, when Ginepri was an awed 18-year-old at the 2001 U.S. Open. He was overwhelmed by the setting and the opponent, losing a lopsided second-round match in straight sets. This time, Ginepri knew he belonged and played like it, taking Federer to the limit. Playing on a broiling, 94-degree afternoon in wind gusts that toyed with shots, Ginepri used his biggest advantage his accurate serve to full advantage. Ginepri had lost only one game on his serve all week, and was the only player who hadn't dropped a set heading into the semifinals. Ginepri broke Federer's serve to go up 5-4 in the first set, setting up the break point by swatting an overhead back at him. He screamed ``Yeah!'' when his crosscourt forehand closed out the set. Federer broke Ginepri's serve he dumped a routine backhand into the net to take the second set 7-5. The third set also stayed on serve until the final game, when Ginepri sailed a backhand return wide to lose the match. A thunderstorm was only minutes away when Federer went to the net to shake Ginepri's hand. The match had an 8-minute rain delay in the second set. It was no surprise that Federer had to use all his weapons 12 aces, accurate drop shots, line-hugging ground strokes to pull it out against a wild card. Ginepri is having his best summer on the tour, winning his second career ATP title at Indianapolis last month. A first-round loss at Wimbledon inspired him to work harder on his game he spends an extra 45 minutes a day in practice and an additional 45 minutes working out. With a sculpted body and a sharper focus, Ginepri has gone 14-3 on hard courts this year. He had only three unforced errors while knocking off Marat Safin to reach his first ATP Masters semifinal. Federer was another matter, giving him only one break point during the match. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/8/128188