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Effortless passage to semi-finals for Fed Express
Gstaad (Switzerland), July 12: Top seed Roger Federer rolled through without lifting a racket to reach the semi-finals of the 550,000-euro Swiss Open when opponent David Sanchez pulled out injured before their match yesterday.
Gstaad (Switzerland), July 12: Top seed Roger Federer rolled through without lifting a racket to reach the semi-finals of the 550,000-euro Swiss Open when opponent David Sanchez pulled out injured before their match yesterday.
Federer, the newly-crowned Wimbledon champion, was planning to ease the pain for a full-house crowd by playing a few exhibition games later against young Swiss Michael Lammer.
Spain's Sanchez is suffering with a knee injury and had to quit as a precaution.
"This would have been a good opportunity to play against a great player," he said. "But during practise this morning, I couldn't run.
"There would have been no way I could have played."
Two Czech seeds advanced to face each other. Number eight Radek Stepanek duplicated his 2002 semi-final as he upset German second seed Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-4, 6-2 while 2001 champion Jiri Novak put out fifth seeded Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-3, 6-3.
Federer, who has won 14 matches on the trot, is now just two victories away from a sixth title this season.
"I was ready to go onto court, but what can I do?" said the 21-year-old, world number three. "I'm happy to be in a semi-final - and it doesn't really matter how I got there."
Bureau Report
Federer, the newly-crowned Wimbledon champion, was planning to ease the pain for a full-house crowd by playing a few exhibition games later against young Swiss Michael Lammer.
Spain's Sanchez is suffering with a knee injury and had to quit as a precaution.
"This would have been a good opportunity to play against a great player," he said. "But during practise this morning, I couldn't run.
"There would have been no way I could have played."
Two Czech seeds advanced to face each other. Number eight Radek Stepanek duplicated his 2002 semi-final as he upset German second seed Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-4, 6-2 while 2001 champion Jiri Novak put out fifth seeded Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-3, 6-3.
Federer, who has won 14 matches on the trot, is now just two victories away from a sixth title this season.
"I was ready to go onto court, but what can I do?" said the 21-year-old, world number three. "I'm happy to be in a semi-final - and it doesn't really matter how I got there."
Bureau Report