It seems that there's no stopping FedEx at the moment!
Roger Federer (Photo: AFP)
Roger Federer’s incredible start to 2017 continued with an impressive 6-3, 6-4 win over towering Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the third round of the Miami Open on Monday.
The Swiss maestro will now face Bautista Agut in the fourth round after his straight sets demolition of del Potro. And should he continue his brilliant run after winning the Australian Open in January and the Indian Wells Open earlier in March, talk of reclaiming his No. 1 ranking may not sound as far-fetched as it did a few weeks ago.
Federer wasn't broken even once in his tie against the Argentine, who he was facing for the first time since their 2013 round-robin encounter at the ATP Finals, as he targeted the del Potro’s backhand from the off.
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The 35-year-old Federer, chasing his third Miami title, didn't allow too many balls to come to del Potro’s howitzer-like forehand, a smart tactic that paid off handsomely. For each time the Argentine would get the ball on his favoured shot, the point would be over almost immediately.
The first set began with an aggressive Federer seeking to break as soon as possible but missed a couple of break points early on and finally converted in the 8th game, taking advantage of a sloppy backhand slice by ripping a forehand of his own.
Looking to close out the set while serving at 5-3, the Swiss was in trouble as he faced four break points, but somehow managed to save all of them and clinch the opening set. That moment was the turning point in the game, as had del Potro converted, the final scoreline and result may well have been different.
Del Potro, to his credit, continued to fight but once Federer broke on his first opportunity in the second set, the result was never in doubt.
The 17-time Slam champion will face Agut, who beat Sam Querrey 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an third round. engrossing encounter on Monday.
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