Federer working quickly at French
PARIS — Roger Federer is keeping the rallies short and finishing points early at the French Open — a combination he hopes will take him closer to a second title at Roland Garros.
That has been evident in the Swiss star’s three victories so far as he has lost only 23 games in nine sets.
“I’m able to play quite aggressive at the moment. Don’t know if I can keep that up,” Federer said Friday. “But the important thing is to keep the errors somewhat lower. ... It’s got to be controlled aggression.”
He beat 30th-seeded Julien Benneteau 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 in the third round, and next faces another Frenchman, No. 15 Gilles Simon, on Sunday.
“I’m happy because I have not used much of my energy so far,” said Federer, who won the French Open in 2009 and reached the semifinals last year. “Mentally, I’m OK. I’m quite confident. I can feel it, which is what you need to be if you want to go deep and have good results here at Roland Garros.”
Simon, who’s 28, doesn’t think he can take advantage of any fitness lapses on Federer’s part.
“I have never seen him look tired; I don’t know about you,” Simon said, jokingly, in response to a reporter’s question.
Federer lost his first two career matches against Simon but has won their past three, including a 6-1, 6-2 victory at Rome in May.
“The last time I played him it wasn’t so good, and I can’t forget that that,” Simon said.
“It doesn’t mean much to me,” was Federer’s view of it. “He defeated me twice. It is always difficult to play against him.”
Federer is seeking a record 18th Grand Slam title, and his first since Wimbledon last year.
“I feel good,” Federer said. “I feel totally relaxed.”
The same could not be said of seven-time French Open champion Nadal on Friday.
Frustered by the scheduling of matches, he took the court at 11 a.m. and looked sluggish, coming from behind for the second match in a row to beat Slovakian Martin Klizan 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
The Spaniard is aiming to become the first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam event, and faces 27th-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy on Saturday.
