Roger Federer

Roger Federer booked his place in the second round of the 2019 French Open with an emphatic straight-sets win over Lorenzo Sonego at Roland-Garros on Sunday.

Federer, who last won this tournament in 2009 and hasn't appeared on the red clay in Paris for four years, saw off Sonego 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. He will now face German Oscar Otte in the second round.

3 years, 11 months and 25 days later…

Good to have you back!#RG19 pic.twitter.com/6PNYcrBBo5

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2019

Federer won on a day when Kei Nishikori also made it through, courtesy of a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win over Frenchman Quentin Halys. He'll be joined in the next phase of the bracket by Marin Cilic and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who both enjoyed victories in straight sets.

The WTA bracket saw Venus Williams beaten by Elina Svitolina in the marquee match of the day. Svitolina put the pressure on Williams early and maintained it as she ultimately eased through both sets to win 6-3, 6-3.

Last year's beaten finalist Sloane Stephens also progressed after getting past Misaki Doi, while Garbine Muguruza made it through, but fifth seed Angelique Kerber slipped to defeat against Anastasia Potapova.

   

Sunday ATP Results

• (3) Roger Federer bt. Lorenzo Sonego: 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
• (6) Stefanos Tsitsipas bt. Maximilian Marterer: 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
• (7) Kei Nishikori bt. Quentin Halys: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
• (11) Marin Cilic bt. Thomas Fabbiano: 6-3, 7-5, 6-1
• Nicolas Mahut bt. (16) Marco Cecchinato: 2-6, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
• (29) Matteo Berrettini bt. Pablo Andujar: 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
• Hugo Dellien bt. Prajnesh Gunneswaran: 6-1, 6-3, 6-1
• Grigor Dimitrov bt. Janko Tipsarevic: 6-3, 6-0, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4
• Oscar Otte bt. Malek Jaziri: 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0
• Alexei Popyrin bt. Ugo Humbert: 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10), 6-3
• Casper Ruud bt. Ernests Gulbis: 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-0
• (27) David Goffin bt. Ricardas Berankis: 6-0, 6-2, 6-2
• Philipp Kohlschreiber bt. Robin Haase: 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1
• Diego Schwartzman bt. Marton Fucsovics: 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) 2-6, 6-2
• (31) Laslo Djere bt. Albert Ramos-Vinolas: 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(2) 
• Leonardo Mayer bt. Jiri Vesely: 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-0

Sunday WTA Results

• Anastasia Potapova bt. (5) Angelique Kerber: 6-4, 6-2
• (19) Garbine Muguruza bt. Taylor Townsend: 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
• Kristina Mladenovic bt. Fiona Ferro: 6-3, 7-6 (3)
• (31) Petra Martic bt. Ons Jabeur: 6-1, 6-2
• (15) Belinda Bencic bt. Jessika Ponchet: 6-1, 6-4
• Johanna Larsson bt. Magdalena Rybarikova: 6-3, 6-4
• Kateryna Kozlova bt. Bernarda Pera: 6-2, 7-6 (5)
• Laura Siegemund bt. Sofya Zhuk: 6-3, 6-3
• Marketa Vondrousova bt. Wang Yafan: 6-4, 6-3
• Kristina Kucova bt. Svetlana Kuznetsova: 6-4, 6-2
• (2) Karolina Pliskova bt. Madison Brengle: 6-2, 6-3
• (9) Elina Svitolina bt. Venus Williams: 6-3, 6-3
• (7) Sloane Stephens bt. Misaki Doi: 6-3, 7-6(4)
• Polona Hercog vs. Aliaksandra Sasnovich: 4-6, 6-2, 3-3 Play Suspended
• Jennifer Brady vs. Ivana Jorovic: 7-6(5), 4-6 Play Suspended
• Sara Sorribes Tormo bt. Alison Van Uytvanck: 6-1, 5-7, 6-2

ATP

Federer set a frantic pace early as he appeared determined to make quick work of Sonego. The rapid approach worked a treat during an opening set when Sonego was overwhelmed:

Just 24 minutes needed for Roger Federer to take the first set against Lorenzo Sonego.

Live: https://t.co/xxBF8ROyyE pic.twitter.com/Ys2mK2WZ7v

— BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) May 26, 2019

It wasn't all plain sailing for Federer the rest of the way. The 37-year-old wasn't error-free:

Watch out, Rog! 😅@rogerfederer | #RG19

🎥: @Eurosport_UK pic.twitter.com/I450cFApx9

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 26, 2019

However, one area where Federer excelled was on serve. His power kept Sonego cowed, while his own defences protected serve as the Italian sought vital break points.

In the end, the crucial breaks eluded Sonego, and Federer kept a tight grip on both the second and third sets.

In his 1st @RolandGarros appearance since 2015, [3] @RogerFederer d. #Sonego 62 64 64 in 1h, 41m and won his 13th straight 1R #RolandGarros. #Federer hit 36 winners (15 unf. errors), converted 5 of 11 break pts. and saved 3 of 4 BPs. Next: [LL] @OscarOtte.

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 26, 2019

This was a cool and measured performance and an ominous warning to second-round opponent Otte.

Cilic poured it on against Fabbiano, hammering his opponent with a powerful serve. When it was Fabbiano's turn to serve he found Cilic ready and able to manufacture more than a few tricky returns.

With both sides of his game strong, Cilic survived a lengthy second set before looking more comfortable in the third.

[11] @cilic_marin, who has reached the QFs @rolandgarros the last 2 years, opened with a 63 75 61 win over Fabbiano. #Cilic hit 13 aces and converted 8 of 20 break pts. while saving 5 of 8 BPs.

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 26, 2019

Nishikori also had too much range in his game for Halys. The former powered his way through the opening set before being made to work a little harder in the second.

Ultimately, Nishikori maintained a terrific winning run during this calendar year on the strength of his ability to break serve.

[7] @keinishikori improved to 8-1 in 1R matches @rolandgarros with a 62 63 64 victory over [WC] Halys. #Nishikori converted 8 of 19 break pts. en route to his 20th win of the season (20-9).

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 26, 2019

Tsitsipas was hardly troubled through two sets against Maximilian Marterer. Things changed in the third as the latter battled for survival.

Marterer took things to a tiebreak, but sixth seed Tsitsipas held his nerve to ensure safe passage through.

Marco Cecchinato was in the last four in 2018, but the Italian is out after blowing a two-set lead against Nicolas Mahut. The latter has reversed his fortunes and made a habit of winning when a fifth set is needed:

[WC] @nmahut rallies past last year's @RolandGarros semi-finalist [16] #Cecchinato 26 67(6) 64 62 64 to earn his 1st Top 20 win (1-5) in 17th #RolandGarros main draw. Since starting career 1-4 in 5-set matches, #Mahut is 5-4 in 5-setters, winning his last 3.

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 26, 2019

Grigor Dimitrov nearly suffered the same fate as Cecchinato, but the Bulgarian eventually reasserted himself after seeing Janko Tipsarevic even rally to even things at two sets apiece.

WTA

Svitolina went in front early and never relinquished control against Williams. The latter couldn't hold serve at key moments:

Venus very erratic so far.

Svitolina breaks Vee four times (got broken twice) and takes the 1st set 6-3.

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 26, 2019

Things stayed the same during the second set, with Svitolina making the points in clutch situations. Her efforts earned her three match points, with the 24-year-old eventually seeing off her decorated veteran opponent.

Muguruza is also through but only after being pushed further by Taylor Townsend than Svitolina was by Williams. A close-fought opening set went Townsend's way, with the 23-year-old producing some spectacular shots.

Taylor Townsend had a big smile on her face as she ran down a Muguruza dropshot, knowing she could flick it back for a winner (and she did).

Muguruza looking just a bit more stressed at the moment.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 26, 2019

However, Muguruza soon reasserted herself, and the 2016 winner was near-flawless as she wrapped up the next two sets with 6-2 scorelines.

Stephens showcased some of last year's form as she cruised through the opening set. The balance of play tipped toward Doi in the second, with a tiebreak needed before Stephens confirmed his place in the next round.

Super Start 💯

Last year's finalist @SloaneStephens roars her way into the second round taking the first career meeting between her and Misaki Doi 6-3 7-6(4).#RG19 pic.twitter.com/SweAwXW5Er

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2019

Kerber won't be joining her after she fell was stunned early by Potapova, who edged a tense first set. The pressure eased in the second as Kerber became increasingly error-prone before slipping to a 6-2 defeat.

There was better news for second seed Karolina Pliskova, who went through the gears to beat Madison Brengle. Petra Martic also impressed when she began the day by dispatching Ons Jabeur after dropping just three games in two sets.

Monday will see top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in action on Philippe-Chatrier court, while Kiki Bertens and Ashleigh Barty get their campaigns underway.

Roger Federer has had to pull out of the Italian Open with a leg injury with little more than a week remaining before the French Open begins on May 26. 

Per ESPN.com, Federer said on Friday: 

"I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete today.

"I am not 100 per cent physically and, after consultation with my team, it was determined that I not play. Rome has always been one of my favourite cities to visit, and I hope to be back next year."

Due to a backlog of fixtures after rain interrupted play on Wednesday, Federer was one of several players forced to play twice on Thursday as he beat Joao Sousa and Borna Coric.

His three-set match with Coric lasted just shy of four hours, and the Swiss maestro indicated after the match that he injured his leg after slipping on the baseline.

Federer was due to play Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-final on Friday.

He is not the only notable player to withdraw having played twice yesterday, per tennis writer Ben Rothenberg:

Withdrawals piling up after yesterday’s double duty:

Osaka (hand) and Federer (leg) both pull out of Rome QFs.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 17, 2019

Christopher Clarey of the New York Times questioned his decision to appear in Rome with Roland Garros looming:

With the leg injury, have to wonder if it was the right call for Federer to add Rome to his clay-court schedule. French Open starts in 10 days. Will need to be fully fit to make a deep run. Got in five matches total before Roland Garros: 3 in Madrid, 2 in Rome (all in one day)

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) May 17, 2019

Federer has not appeared at the French Open since 2015. A back injury kept him out of it the following year, while in the last two years he has skipped the clay season entirely to keep fresh for Wimbledon.

The 37-year-old would have had a difficult enough time winning at Roland Garros ahead of Rafael Nadal, who has won there 11 times since 2005.

His task will be even more daunting if he's not fully fit, should he be able to feature in the tournament at all following his injury.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka all played and won twice at the Italian Open on Thursday in an extended schedule following Wednesday's postponement due to rain.

Federer beat Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-3 in his first appearance at the Rome Masters since 2016, before beating Borna Coric in three sets.

Djokovic saw off Denis Shapovalov and Philipp Kohlschreiber, Nadal gave up just one game apiece against Jeremy Chardy and Nikoloz Basilashvili, and Osaka downed Dominika Cibulkova and Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios walked out of his match with Casper Ruud after throwing a chair onto the court.

There were upsets in both the men's and women's tournaments as No. 7 seed Sloane Stephens and Venus Williams both fell to Johanna Konta, while Simona Halep, Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem were also knocked out.

               

Selected Monday Results

Men's Singles 

(1) Novak Djokovic bt. Denis Shapovalov: 6-1, 6-3

Jan-Lennard Struff bt. (9) Marin Cilic: 6-2, 6-3

(3) Roger Federer bt. Joao Sousa: 6-4, 6-3

Fernando Verdasco bt. (5) Dominic Thiem: 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 

(2) Rafael Nadal bt. Jeremy Chardy: 6-0, 6-1 

Casper Ruud bt. Nick Kyrgios: 6-3, 6-7 (5), 2-1 (Ret.)

(1) Novak Djokovic* bt. Philipp Kohlschreiber: 6-3, 6-0

(3) Roger Federer* bt. Borna Coric: 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7)

(2) Rafael Nadal* bt. Nikoloz Basilashvili: 6-1, 6-0 

           

Women's Singles

(1) Naomi Osaka bt. Dominika Cibulkova: 6-3, 6-3

(2) Petra Kvitova bt. Yulia Putintseva: 6-0, 6-1

(6) Kiki Bertens bt. Amanda Anisimova: 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 

Johanna Konta bt. (7) Sloane Stephens: 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-1

Marketa Vondrousova bt. (3) Simona Halep: 2-6, 7-5, 6-3

Garbine Muguruza bt. Danielle Collins: 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Kristina Mladenovic bt. Belinda Bencic: 6-2, 2-6, 6-1

Johanna Konta* bt. Venus Williams: 6-2, 6-4 

Kristina Mladenovic* bt. (8) Ash Barty: 6-2, 6-3 

(1) Naomi Osaka* bt. Mihaela Buzarnescu: 6-3, 6-3

             

*Second Match

Full results and schedule can be found via the Pro Tennis Live app.

                

Thursday Recap

The action started earlier than usual in the Italian capital as organisers looked to make up time following a complete washout on Wednesday.

First on court was world No. 1 Osaka, who will be looking to win a third Grand Slam in succession at the French Open, which starts later this month.

She dispatched Cibulkova in one hour, 42 minutes to advance to the last 16.

The Japanese star lost an early break, but she came roaring back with some trademark big hitting.

She saved seven of eight break points conceded in the match, while taking four of the 15 she earned, and hit 44 winners and 12 aces.

Cibulkova simply could not live with Osaka, and the top seed eventually finished her opponent off in typical style:

.@Naomi_Osaka_ seals her spot in the last 16 at the @InteBNLdItalia!

Gets the 6-3, 6-3 win over Cibulkova! pic.twitter.com/DcsTG5pCq5

— wta (@WTA) May 16, 2019

Federer was similarly efficient in his match against Sousa. The Portuguese made Federer work hard for the victory, but the 20-time Grand Slam champion had more than enough quality to respond.

He took the opening set with a hold to love in 41 minutes, and as so often with Federer, it was his serve that saw him through.

The Swiss legend saved all seven of the break points Sousa earned, defending with some quite staggering play when put under pressure by his opponent:

STOP IT @rogerfederer 😱

Unbelievable D from the Swiss! #ibi19 pic.twitter.com/MR18owaRXq

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 16, 2019

And he won 77 percent of points behind his first serve to eventually grind Sousa into submission.

The 37-year-old was caught cold in the opening set of his second match, but he quickly responded to edge out Coric in the second and third sets.

Nadal's performance was brutal as he blew Chardy away in a little over an hour.

A quite ludicrous backhand passing winner from the Spaniard to seal the opening set 6-0 summed things up as Chardy simply could not get close to the eight-time winner and defending champion.

The Frenchman saved himself the embarrassment of a double bagel by holding once in the second set, but he understandably could not get off the court quick enough after Nadal sealed victory. 

Nadal had a similarly straightforward time against Basilashvili.

The Spaniard was recently described as "salty" by Kyrgios on the No Challenges Remaining podcast of tennis writer Ben Rothenberg (h/t the Australian Associated Press, for the Guardian).

As Rothenberg observed, the Australian continued to make waves on Thursday:

I'm not sure it matters, but I agree. Looked like it was Kyrgios' choice to stop the match, so more of a forfeit/retirement than a traditional DQ/default. But it was spiraling quickly there.https://t.co/1IZHcKDAmM

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 16, 2019

Meanwhile, Djokovic is going for his third tournament win of the year after triumphs at the Australian Open and the Madrid Open, and he began his campaign in Rome in emphatic fashion.

The top seed was fast out of the blocks, earning two breaks in the first set to immediately get on the front foot and leave Shapovalov with a mountain to climb.

Serving at a remarkable 80 percent, the Serb won 28 points from 32 behind his first serve and did not concede a single break point.

Unable to produce a similar level of play with the ball in hand, the 20-year-old Shapovalov simply could not compete.

He served at 52 percent during the match and Djokovic took advantage as he completed his first victory of the tournament in 66 minutes. 

Nick Kyrgios has expressed his dislike for some of his fellow tennis stars, describing Rafael Nadal as "salty," Novak Djokovic's celebrations as "cringeworthy" and Fernando Verdasco as "the most arrogant person ever."

The Australian appeared on the No Challenges Remaining podcast of tennis writer Ben Rothenberg (h/t the Australian Associated Press, for the Guardian), and he didn't mince his words.

On Nadal, he said:

"He’s my polar opposite, like literally my polar opposite. And he’s super salty. Every time I’ve beaten him ... when he wins, it’s fine. He won’t say anything bad, he’ll credit the opponent, ‘He was a great player’. But as soon as I beat him, it’s just like, ‘He has no respect for me, my fans and no respect to the game’.

"And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? I literally played this way when I beat you the other previous times and nothing changed ... When you beat me in Rome here a couple of years ago, nothing changed; I was the same person’."

He's not a fan of Djokovic and his celebrations, either:

"I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. He just wants to be like Roger (Federer). For me personally—I don’t care right now, I’ve come this far—I feel like he just wants to be liked so much that I just can’t stand him.

"This whole celebration thing (blowing kisses to the crowd) that he does after matches, it’s like so cringeworthy.

“(But) we’re talking about a guy who pulled out of the Australian Open one year because it was too hot. No matter how many grand slams he wins, he will never be the greatest for me. Simply because, I’ve played him twice and like, I’m sorry, but if you can’t beat me, you’re not the greatest of all time."

Verdasco also had some criticism lobbed his way, but Kyrgios did reserve praise for Roger Federer―calling him the greatest of all time―and Andy Murray. He also referred to Thanasi Kokkinakis his "brother."

You can listen to the full podcast here:

To brighten this rainy day, my long-awaited interview with @NickKyrgios is now up on @NCR_Tennis. Enjoy. https://t.co/bMbgdn4SQo

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 15, 2019

Unsurprisingly, the explosive quotes caused quite a stir among tennis fans, per the WTA's David Kane:

https://twitter.com/DKTNNS/status/1128715249828421632

BBC 5Live's David Law enjoyed it:

https://twitter.com/DavidLawTennis/status/1128679532926513155

The 24-year-old Kyrgios has never shied away from controversy. He was involved in a spat with a fan during the Miami Open in March, repeatedly engaging a man who had taunted him, per CNN's George Ramsay. The fan was eventually removed from the venue.

Tennis Now shared footage of the back-and-forth:

Kyrgios has a perfect head-to-head record against Djokovic, winning their only two meetings. He's three-and-three against Nadal, having won their most recent meeting in Acapulco in February.

Per Reuters, Nadal criticised the Australian after the loss, saying he lacks respect. In response, Kyrgios said the Spaniard doesn't know him and he wouldn't listen.

While his talent has never been in question, Kyrgios' antics and knack of attracting controversy make him a divisive figure. He holds impressive records against the world's best players but has struggled with consistency, never making it past the quarter-finals of a grand slam.

He has also never been ranked inside the ATP top 10, winning just two titles since the end of the 2016 season.

The Australian's Wally Mason and his colleagues wondered who he really is:

There's a debate in the office about whether Nick Kyrgios is worth reporting on. Pretentious, smart alec who will never amount to anything unless he gets fit and hires a coach or prodigiously talented and misunderstood. What do you think? #tennis #kyrgios https://t.co/fqkQ5nMFno

— wally mason (@walmason) May 15, 2019

Nadal, Djokovic and Kyrgios are all currently in action in Rome as they continue their preparations for the French Open, which gets underway later this month.

The fifth day of the 2019 Italian Open was a wash out as heavy rain forced play to be cancelled on Wednesday.

Roger Federer was set to feature in the afternoon against Joao Sousa but the inclement conditions meant the pair could not take to the court.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal also saw their matches postponed, with action expected to resume on Thursday.

                                  

Selected Men's Singles To Play On Thursday

(3) Roger Federer vs. Joao Sousa

(2) Rafael Nadal vs. Jeremy Chardy

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Denis Shapovalov

(5) Dominic Thiem vs. Fernando Verdasco

                          

Selected Women's Singles To Play On Thursday

(1) Naomi Osaka vs. Dominika Cibulkova

(3) Simona Halep vs. Marketa Vondrousova

(2) Petra Kvitova vs. Yulia Putintseva

(7) Sloane Stephens vs. Johanna Konta                                                 

Full competition results can be found at the tournament's official website, while the latest schedule can be found here.

                  

Fans were expecting to see three icons of men's tennis feature in Rome before the heavens opened.

Organisiers attempted to keep proceedings in order, with Djokovic's mouthwatering match against Shapovalov only cancelled late in the day, but the weather was persistent and relentless.

Shapovalov has continued to climb the rankings and the 20-year-old is expected to provide an ample test for the world No. 1.

Naomi Osaka will also be back in action as she continues to put the disappointment of the Madrid Open behind her.

The Japanese superstar was dumped out of the tournament in straight sets by Kiki Bertens, who went on to win the competition.

Osaka will want to hold onto her No. 1 world ranking, but Simona Halep is breathing down her neck as she attempts to dethrone the 21-year-old.

Roger Federer failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2019 Madrid Open after Dominic Thiem beat him in three sets on Friday. The Austrian will face Novak Djokovic for a place in the final, while Rafael Nadal takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Djokovic earned a walkover win over Marin Cilic, who was forced to pull out of the match due to illness:

Dear fans, @mutuamadridopen organizers, @DjokerNole I am sorry to announce that I must withdraw from today's match. I have had a terrible night dealing with a case of food poisoning. I am extremely disappointed to have my time in Madrid end in this way. Thank you for the support.

— Marin Cilic (@cilic_marin) May 10, 2019

Federer and Dominic Thiem served up a great contest between in-form stars, setting the tone for a great day of tennis.

Tsitsipas beat Alexander Zverev in three sets, before Nadal easily handled Stanislas Wawrinka, in what was described as the best quarter-final lineup of the season:

Madrid got the best ATP QFs line up of the year by a mile:

[1] 🇷🇸 Djokovic vs. [9] 🇭🇷 Cilic

[3] 🇨🇭 Federer vs. [5] 🇦🇹 Thiem

[4] 🇩🇪 Zverev vs. [8] 🇬🇷 Tsitsipas

[2] 🇪🇸 Nadal vs. 🇨🇭 Wawrinka pic.twitter.com/Hzq4fe1ysw

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 9, 2019

In the women's draw, Simona Halep beat Belinda Bencic to book her place in the final. She'll face Kiki Bertens, who beat Sloane Stephens.

Here are the results from Friday.

     

Men's Quarter-Finals

(1) Novak Djokovic beats (9) Marin Cilic: Walkover

(5) Dominic Thiem beats (4) Roger Federer: 3-6, 7-6 (11), 6-4

(2) Rafael Nadal beats Stanislas Wawrinka: 6-1, 6-2

(8) Stefanos Tsitsipas beats (3) Alexander Zverev: 7-5, 3-6, 6-2

      

Women's Semi-Finals

(3) Simona Halep beats Belinda Bencic: 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-0

(7) Kiki Bertens beats (8) Sloane Stephens: 6-2, 7-5

Full results can be found at the tournament's official website, along with the schedule.

     

While the fans who secured a ticket for the incredible set of men's quarter-finals will have been disappointed to miss out on the clash between Djokovic and Cilic, Federer and Thiem soon made them forget all about that.

Per Tennis TV, the duo carried excellent form into their contest:

🇨🇭 @rogerfederer is on an 8-match win streak...
🇦🇹 @ThiemDomi is on a 7-match win streak...

Something has got to give at the #MMOpen 🇪🇸

Stream LIVE now 👉 https://t.co/hOHmv2wMlX pic.twitter.com/5zzIh1pI3O

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 10, 2019

Thiem has become a clay specialist in the past few seasons, doing plenty of damage with his power from the baseline, and Federer came up with a tactical plan to counter the Austrian's advantage in the rallies.

The 37-year-old played ultra-aggressive, abandoning the slow buildup play usually seen on clay in favour of a style more typically suited to hard courts.

He also relied heavily on his serve:

Federer is yet to miss a 1st serve today. Madness 😂 pic.twitter.com/xnXOlz5F15

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 10, 2019

It led to a dominant first set, in which Thiem found no answer for the veteran's aggressive play, but the 25-year-old made the necessary adjustments at the start of the second set.

The two were evenly matched during the set and throughout an epic tiebreak, and Thiem fought his way out of a hole and faced two match points before tying things up.

By the third set, he had figured out how to deal with Federer's aggressive tactics, winning to line up a semi-final against Djokovic.

Nadal cruised through his quarter-final contest, losing just three games to Wawrinka. The Spaniard seems to be rounding into form at the right time:

Rafael Nadal loses 7 serve points all match and beats Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-2 to reach the semifinals in Madrid. His best clay match of the season by far.

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 10, 2019

The French Open, the highlight of the clay season, will start on May 26. Thiem shocked Nadal in Barcelona, knocking the King of Clay out in two sets, but the 32-year-old has only improved since.

In the women's draw, 22-year-old Bencic gave Halep a slight scare in the second set before the latter powered through her opponent in the final set.

The two provided several highlights, with this rally standing out:

.@Simona_Halep gives it all in this point 🏃‍♀️#MMOpen pic.twitter.com/jUfNGHSCbN

— wta (@WTA) May 10, 2019

Halep is a two-time winner in Madrid and will seek her first title since 2017.  

Novak Djokovic secured a place in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Madrid Open on Thursday after he dismantled Jeremy Chardy in straight sets.

Later on, Roger Federer took two hours to despatch Gael Monfils on the clay, winning in three sets as the Swiss matched the Frenchman's energy.

No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal progressed with a straightforward win over rising American prodigy Frances Tiafoe.

Unseeded Stan Wawrinka skipped into the next round as he defeated Kei Nishikori in straight sets.

In the women's quarter-finals, Simona Halep saw off Ashleigh Barty in two sets, but No. 1 seed Naomi Osaka was shocked as she was eliminated by Belinda Bencic.

The 22-year-old Swiss continues to enhance her reputation after beating the Japanese star in three sets.

An action-packed day in the Spanish capital concluded with Petra Kvitova crashing out to Kiki Bertens.

                            

Men's Singles Results

(1) Novak Djokovic bt. Jeremy Chardy, 6-1, 7-6 (2)

(9) Marin Cilic bt. Laslo Dere, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

(5) Dominic Thiem bt. (10) Fabio Fognini, 6-4, 7-5

Stan Wawrinka bt. (6) Kei Nishikori, 6-3, 7-6 (3)

(4) Roger Federer bt. (15) Gael Monfils, 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (3)

(8) Stefanos Tsitsipas bt. Fernando Verdasco, 6-3, 6-4

(3) Alexander Zverev bt. Hubert Hurkacz, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

(2) Rafael Nadal bt. Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 6-4

                                                   

Women's Singles Results

(3) Simona Halep bt. (9) Ashleigh Barty, 7-5, 7-5

Belinda Bencic bt. (1) Naomi Osaka, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

(8) Sloane Stephens bt. Petra Martic, 6-4, 6-3

(7) Kiki Bertens bt. (2) Petra Kvitova, 6-2, 6-3

                                                    

Full results can be found at the tournament's official website, along with the schedule.

                    

Djokovic entered his match with a 12-0 head-to-head record with Chardy, and his dominance over the Frenchman was reflected in the opening set as he quickly raced to a 5-0 lead.

Chardy avoided a bagel when serving to stay in the set, but all it did was delay the inevitable, and it quickly went Djokovic's way, per Metro's George Bellshaw:

https://twitter.com/BellshawGeorge/status/1126467044323540995

The 32-year-old improved in the second set as he managed to keep proceedings on serve, and he even managed to earn a set point, but Djokovic was able to take the set to a tiebreaker.

From there, the world No. 1 took control to set up a tie with Marin Cilic:

💯 Novak Djokovic makes it 13-0 against Jeremy Chardy.

The World No.1 advances to the #MMOpen QFs 6-1 7-6(2). pic.twitter.com/mDY4Zhyczx

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 9, 2019

Federer was in sensational form as he exploded out of the traps against Monfils, taking the first set without losing a game.

However, the 32-year-old fought back to claim the second set, breaking the icon's serve as he levelled proceedings.

Federer once again put his foot on the gas to edge the deciding set, winning a tiebreak finish 7-3 as his opponent faded.

It was an easy day for Nadal as he cruised to victory against Tiafoe in the evening session.

The king of clay broke his opponent's serve to make it 3-1 in the first and repeated the break in the second to squeeze Tiafoe's hopes of a shock.

Nadal fired six aces on his way to victory, never allowing the American the chance to capitalise from his service games.

Halep and Barty produced an entertaining contest when they met on court Manolo Santana.

Both sets followed the same pattern, with Halep getting a break in front before being pegged back.

Barty, seeded ninth, played some superb shots:

🇦🇺 Ashleigh Barty brought her best play 🤩
@ashbar96#MMOpen pic.twitter.com/1jkjcZCzRd

— wta (@WTA) May 9, 2019

Reigning French Open champion Halep showed her class in the clutch moments, though, as she recovered from the setbacks to break at 5-5 in each set before holding serve to win.

The victory continued the 27-year-old's superb record in Madrid, per Record's Jose Morgado:

Halep now won 24 of her last 27 matches in Madrid since 2014

2019 - SF*
2018 - QF
2017 - W
2016 - W
2015 - R1
2014 - F

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 9, 2019

Halep will play Bencic in her semi-final after the world No. 18 sent Osaka packing from Madrid.

Osaka was strongly expected to make the last four, but she could now lose her status as the top-ranked player in the world after the surprise loss.

Bencic appeared to be on her way to defeat in the deciding set but rallied to suppress a 5-3 deficit.

The Swiss took the final set 7-5 as she twice broke the favourite's serve in dramatic fashion.

There was disappointment at the end of the day for Kvitova as she was soundly beaten by Bertens.

The 27-year-old Dutch player was ruthless as she accelerated past the No. 2 seed in straight sets.

Kvitova lost her serve five times as her opponent sailed to victory with authority and ease.

Roger Federer won his 101st career title, and second of 2019, as he beat John Isner 6-1, 6-4 in the Miami Open final on Sunday.

The 37-year-old was in supreme form and lost just three points on his serve in the entire match.

Isner lost his first service game of the contest and could never get a grip on the match because of Federer's consistency.

Down 4-3 in the second set, Isner called his trainer, and he looked increasingly uncomfortable thereafter.

To his credit, the American hobbled back out on court to serve to stay in the match at 5-4 down, but Federer duly got the second-set break he needed to claim the title in Florida. 

Federer is a difficult enough opponent at the best of times, but especially when he gets an early advantage.

Isner's serve, as his fiercest weapon, was always going to be crucial to his success as he attempted to defend his title.

But he was sloppy with the ball in hand in the first game of the match and immediately went 1-0 behind after Federer piled on the pressure with a fine passing shot:

https://twitter.com/DavidLawTennis/status/1112403389990748161

A love hold in his second service game would have come as a relief for Isner, but the damage had already been done as Federer was faultless.

And it did not last, as some Isner errors and Federer brilliance combined to see the Swiss legend break again for 4-1, and again to seal the opener in just 24 minutes:

6-1 in 2️⃣4️⃣ minutes

Federer on 🔝#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/bsDvVeAGOV

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 31, 2019

A comeback never seemed likely from that point. As vulnerable as Isner's serve looked, Federer's looked unbreakable.

Another hold to love for the 20-time Grand Slam winner opened the second set, and Isner responded with some similarly efficient serving.

At 4-4 in the second, a tiebreak looked to be on the cards.

But then the 33-year-old aggravated the foot injury he had just been treated for and hopped in pain behind the baseline:

Isner in bad shape with his left foot, telling his box “I can’t move,” shaking his head. #miamiopen

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 31, 2019

A retirement looked like it could be forthcoming, but instead Isner returned to serve at 5-4 behind.

The game was up, though, as the pace was gone from Isner's serve and he could barely move around the court.

He produced an impressive point to save Federer's first championship point, but he then went long to hand his opponent a fourth Miami Open title. 

The 2019 Miami Open men's singles semifinals took place Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Defending champion John Isner faced off with 18-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Auger-Aliassime has been one of the biggest stories of the tournament, dispatching of 29th-seeded Marton Fucsovics, 17th-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili and 11th-seeded Borna Coric en route to the semifinals.

In the other half of the draw, Roger Federer matched up with another Canadian, Denis Shapovalov. It's the first time Federer and Shapovalov opposed one another at an ATP Tour event.

Here are the scores from the men's semifinals and recaps of the two matches.

       

2019 Miami Open Results—March 29

Men's Singles

No. 7 John Isner def. Felix Auger-Aliassime, 7-6(3), 7-6(4)

No. 4 Roger Federer def. No. 20 Denis Shapovalov, 6-2, 6-4

Friday Recap

Auger-Aliassime's underdog run ended Friday as he dropped back-to-back tiebreakers in a straight-set defeat at the hands of Isner.

Auger-Aliassime earned the match's first service break in the opening set, which helped him build a 5-3 lead on Isner. Even after Isner held to make it 5-4, Auger-Aliassime had an opportunity to serve out the set. The heavy-hitting American broke back to tie the set at five and eventually set the stage for the tiebreaker.

Isner and Auger-Aliassime went back and forth through the first six points and were deadlocked at three. Then Isner reeled off four straight points to claim the set.

The second set played out much as the first did, with the teenager again letting Isner back in the set when he was a game away from securing it.

Auger-Aliassime never led in the tiebreak. He fell behind 3-1 and then 5-2. Isner secured the victory with his 21st ace of the match.

Yet to drop a set 👏
9-0 in tiebreaks 😳@JohnIsner d. Auger-Aliassime 7-6(3) 7-6(4) and is one match from going back-to-back at the #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/Jqh5jBj23M

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 29, 2019

Isner hasn't dropped a set all tournament, with his big serve propelling him to the final. It may not be enough to get past Federer in the final after the Swiss rolled through Shapovalov.

Shapovalov provided a helping hand early on. He was a mess on serve and committed 20 unforced errors in the opening set.

As his opponent struggled, Federer's confidence grew. The 20-time Grand Slam winner broke Shapovalov twice and jumped out to a 5-1 lead.

Roger Federer 6-2 over Shapo in the first a night after blanking Anderson in the first. He’s playing 2017 Spring level well right now.

— Steve Layman (@SteveLayman) March 29, 2019

Shapovalov improved in the second set yet remained a class below Federer, who staved off two break-point chances in the second game and then forced a service break in the next game. That was the turning point, as the two players exchanged serve over the remainder of the match.

🚨 FEDERER IS FINAL BOUND 🚨

🇨🇭 @rogerfederer d. Shapovalov 6-2 6-4 as he edges closer to #101#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/X3SlG2kU3u

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 30, 2019

Federer was dominant on serve, winning all but eight of his 45 service points. Shapovalov, on the other hand, committed five double-faults and found significant trouble when he had to turn to his second serve—winning only 31 percent of those points.

Isner and Federer are now headed for their first head-to-head meeting since the 2015 BNP Paribas Masters. Isner was victorious on that occasion, his second win in seven tries against Federer.

       

The full tournament draws (men's singles and women's singles) and order of play are available on the Miami Open's official site.

Roger Federer just keeps on winning.

The tennis legend continued his excellent 2019 season on Friday night, defeating Denis Shapovalov in straight sets at the Miami Open semifinals, 6-2, 6-4. The win earned him a berth in the final, where John Isner awaits. 

19-year-old Denis Shapovalov grew up idolizing vintage Federer. Tonight, he got to play vintage Federer.

6-2, 6-4 in style for the 37-year-old, who will face John Isner in Sunday's Miami Open final

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) March 30, 2019

🚨 FEDERER IS FINAL BOUND 🚨

🇨🇭 @rogerfederer d. Shapovalov 6-2 6-4 as he edges closer to #101#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/X3SlG2kU3u

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 30, 2019

It was a dominant performance with a number of highlight moments. After all, how many 37-year-olds can do this?

He's 37, you say? 🧐

A volley of the highest quality from @rogerfederer 🔥

Watch the @MiamiOpen on @TennisTV 👊 pic.twitter.com/Ej6wvcRO9P

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2019

Or this?

Artist at work 🖌@rogerfederer #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/MXJaCLV5gF

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 29, 2019

Since losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open, Federer has reached three straight finals, including winning his 100th career title at the Dubai Championships in early March.

It was an impressive run to the semifinals for the 19-year-old Shapovalov, but he ran into the legend on Friday. Federer won the match in one hour and 14 minutes, never let Shapovalov convert a break point and dropped just four points on his own serve in a dominant first set.

.@rogerfederer now holds the record for most #ATPMasters1000 finals w/50! 🎉

📹: @TennisTV | #MiamiOpenpic.twitter.com/yldk5suXrc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2019

As BBC Sport noted, the age difference between the two competitors was "the biggest age gap between opponents in the quarterfinals or later of an ATP Masters 1000 and the biggest gap in Federer's career."

Suffice to say, Shapovalov learned a few lessons on Friday. There's no doubt he's one of the promising young players in the game today, but Federer remains the master. Far more experienced players have lost far worse against Federer than Shapovalov did in their first meeting.

Not really fair comparison but @rogerfederer 's win reminds me of Sherwood Stewart facing 45-yr-old Ken Rosewall for 1st time. Chasing a deep return from Ken's incomparable bh, Stewart went sprawling & shouted out: "I've heard about it. Now I've seen it. How much for a lesson?"

— Richard Ingham Evans (@Ringham7) March 30, 2019

Isner, for instance, is just 2-5 against Federer, though the two haven't played since 2015. Isner won that matchup, with Federer taking five of their first six meetings.

Federer will be favored when they face off Sunday, though Isner's power always makes him a threat to pull off the upset. But Federer has been excellent this season, and betting against him is a fool's errand.