STOCKHOLM
Crowd-pleaser Roger Federer staged an heroic recovery from a set and a break down against fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka to reach the semi-finals of the Stockholm Open 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 as home favourite Robin Soderling crashed out.
Hopes of a potential elite final between the tournament’s top two evaporated as Soderling went down to defeat against German outsider Florian Mayer 7-6 (10/8), 6-1. Federer’s patchy game in the first set was unrecognisable from the powerhouse comeback which suddenly snapped into place as he trailed a set and 0-2 and which carried him to victory in just under two hours.
Number 47 Mayer, was stunned by his success over Soderling and at reaching a second season semi. “It was unbelievable to beat a Top ten player at home, indoors on his favourite surface,” said Mayer. Soderling admitted he lost his way: “Clearly it’s tough to lose,” said the player who will have to wait until his next event to qualify for the eight-man season finals in London next month.
A victory over the 47th-ranked Meyer would have put the Swede into the field alongside Rafael Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. “My timing was not fully there and at the same time, he played very well,” said the two-time Roland Garros finalist. “I didn’t come up to standard today. I was a bit early on my backhand all evening.”
Mayer will next play Finn Jarkko Nieminen, who thrashed two-time champion James Blake 6-0, 6-2 in 49 minutes. Federer’s victory gave him his 50th win of the season, the first player to win that many for nine straight years since Pete Sampras completed the feat in 1998.
The Swiss will Saturday face good friend Ivan Ljubicic, who made a great escape from a potential fellow Croatian spoiler Ivan Dodig, earning a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 comeback win Ljubicic lost the opening set but took the second on a double break and went up an early break in the third to finally post his 23rd win of the season against 16 losses.
