Federer focusing only on his game

12 April 2012

Roger Federer stuttered into the French Open quarter-finals on Monday denying there is any extra pressure on him now arch rival Rafael Nadal is no longer in the title frame.

Second seed Federer almost joined reigning champion Nadal on the Roland Garros scrapheap, the Swiss recovering from two sets down to defeat Germany's Tommy Haas 6-7 (4/7) 5-7 6-4 6-0 6-2 in a fourth-round thriller on Philippe Chatrier court.

"Sure it was a big upset," Federer said of the Spaniard's four-set defeat to unheralded Swede Robin Soderling on Sunday. "But the focus wasn't on that. Of course the dream scenario is to beat Rafa here in the final but I've got to concentrate on my part of the draw and make sure I come through. Tommy Haas was very good and that is where my focus was."

Federer did not drop a single point in his first six service games but he still lost the first set.

He then threw away the second set as his game suddenly went missing and Haas seized the initiative.

He capitalised on more Federer foibles to go 40-30 up with the Swiss serving 3-4 down. Federer's superb forehand saved the day and he won that game, and the following eight, to turn the match on its head.

France's Gael Monfils will be Federer's opponent in the last eight. The 11th seed's fourth-round clash with Andy Roddick was close to being postponed for bad light when Monfils clinched a 6-4 6-2 6-3 victory in near darkness.

Fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro has not been garnering many headlines over the past week but he continued his serene progress by dumping out big French hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The Argentinian was a 6-1 6-7 (5/7) 6-1 6-4 winner, allowing him to move a step closer to a first-ever grand-slam semi-final.

He will next play 16th seed Tommy Robredo, who made the quarter-finals here for the fourth time thanks to his 6-4 5-7 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber.

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