The Swiss maestro who withdrew from last week’s Madrid Open, was a fraction of his usual best against the 15th-ranked Dominic Thiem on Thursday.
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“I’m happy I’m through the tournament now and can look ahead”.
“But I made some technical changes on my serve over the last couple of months and that’s made a huge difference to my game and taken my game up a level”.
It could be the beginning of a Rome Masters fairytale for 22-year-old Thiem, who is approaching 30 wins for the season having secured two titles already and suffered defeat to Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber in the final at Munich almost a fortnight ago.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feel tomorrow”, Federer said.
“I was trying but it didn’t work”, Azarenka said. But if maybe in three or four days I can practise 100 per cent for next week, then I believe that something is possible again. Then, I’ll make a plan, I guess today, what the recovery and practice plan is going to be. “I’m still confident I will be fine somehow”.
French 11th seed Richard Gasquet beat Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-4. “Obviously I was limited because Thiem had completely the upper hand from the baseline, so I had to find other ways to win the point. The ex-players don’t tend to be technical coaches so it’s tough to pick”. In terms of information, regardless if I’m going to play tomorrow or not, this was something I feel I needed to do to get a sense of where I’m at.
Later, defending champion Novak Djokovic faces Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci. We have seen that Djokovic has been vulnerable here, and Madrid saw Nadal defeated in his own (metallic cage of a) back yard by Andy Murray. He will face Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
But play he did, and beat Zverev in a tactically astute two sets, after which it became clear just how last minute his decision had been.
World number three Andy Murray, though, cruised into the next round, with the Britain winning his tie with France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-0, 6-4.
“The scoreline was the big surprise”, Murray said of Goffin’s dominance. “It really depends on the next seven to nine days how I can really play in Paris”.
In the women’s draw, top seed Serena Williams cruised into the quarter-finals by overcoming fellow American Christina McHale 7-6, 6-1.
“Unfortunately, it was true”, said Williams, who first shared the news on Snapchat.
“Should I rest, train, do some more physio?” Important is that I didn’t have any setbacks and I was able to step on the tennis court.
Australian Daria Gavrilova dispatched Madrid champion Simona Halep, seeded sixth, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Jo Konta earlier missed an excellent chance to add another quarter final to her burgeoning cv when she was beaten 4-6 7-5 6-2 by world number 45 Misaki Doi of Japan.
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Djokovic beat 35-year-old French qualifier Stephane Robert 7-5, 7-5 as he seeks a third straight title in Rome and fourth overall.
