Roger Federer was in formidable form as he reached the quarter-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday.
Top seed eases into last eight; Gasquet sets up all-French quarter-final
Roger Federer was in formidable form as he reached the quarter-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday.
The top seed in the Masters 500 event posted a 6-3 6-4 victory over Marcel Granollers to book a last eight encounter with Sergiy Stakhovsky.
Federer came up against a spirited Spaniard in Granollers but the world number needed an hour and 10 minutes to ease into the next round.
Federer was due to meet Ernests Gulbis in the quarter-finals but the eighth-seeded Latvian crashed out to Ukrainian Stakhovsky losing 6-3 5-7 6-1.
Recovery
Richard Gasquet booked his place in the last eight, albeit having to come from a second set lull to beat Sergei Bubka.
The former Wimbledon semi-finalist was 2-5 down in the second set but recovered to seal a place in the quarter-finals of the Masters 500 event with a 6-2 7-5 success over the Ukrainian wildcard.
The 24-year-old's reward is an all-French match-up with Gilles Simon, who comfortably took care of business in dispatching Czech qualifier Lukas Rosol in straight sets.
And the former world number seven Gasquet was encouraged by his performance against Bubka and is looking to take the positives of his latest win into Thursday's clash with Simon.
"I am trying to play more aggressively and to start matches better," said the world number 28, who has eyes on recording three successive victories in a Tour event for the first time in five months.
"And trying my best to become the best player in the world - but I need time."
