Rusty Federer wins opener
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ByEurosport
Published 15/11/2004 at 22:55 GMT
World number one Roger Federer opened up the defence of his Masters Cup title with a 6-1 7-6 (7-4) round robin victory over French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston on Monday. The Swiss hit 29 unforced errors
Eurosport
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Under gloomy grey skies and chilly conditions, the opening match of the 2004 season finale was postponed after six minutes of play with Federer leading 1-0.
The pair returned after a two hour interruption.
Federer looked rusty from a lack of match practice, but relied on his baseline game for a fourth career victory over his Argentine opponent in the one hour 31-minute encounter.
The match was the 23-year-olds first since sustaining a torn left thigh muscle during a practice session in Basel. An injury that caused him to withdraw from events in Basel and Paris.
The only debutant in the elite eight-player field, Gaudio's prowess on clay is in sharp contrast to his struggles on the North American hardcourts having claimed just two wins on the surface since the U.S. Open.
Between them Federer and Gaudio captured all the grand slam titles on offer this season, the Swiss taking Wimbledon, Australian and U.S. Open while the Argentine took the French Open to prevent a sweep.
But Federer's all-court game was simply too much for the Argentine baseliner.
"I'm quite relieved to have played my first match and come back after a long time without a tournament, without playing a match," said Federer, after posting his 19th consecutive win over a top-10 ranked opponent.
"I'm very happy with my game. I went two weeks without playing. It is something I've never done before except maybe the end of a season.
"Beating a player like Gaston is very satisfying.
"I had my chances and was playing well, hitting a lot of winners. In the second set I made some errors and that made it even.
"I'm not worried I could push 100 per cent no problem."
Under heavy, grey skies the match got off to a stuttering start, Federer taking the opening game before rain hit the Westside Tennis Club delaying play for two hours and 20 minutes.
When play resumed, Gaudio held serve but Federer seized control on his next opportunity hammering a running forehand winner down the line to break the Argentine and go up 3-1.
Now back to his familiar flowing rhythm, Federer storm through the next four games taking the set in just 31 minutes.
In the second, Gaudio offered some stern resistance but the feisty Argentine was never able to penetrate Federer's defences failing to gain a break point the entire match.
If Federer's game was lacking anything it was a bit of his killer instinct, converting just two of 21 break opportunities before finally clinching the second set and match 7-4 in the tiebreak.
The match between Double Masters Cup winner Lleyton Hewitt and 1998 Roland Garros champion Carlos Moya has been postponed until Tuesday due to rain.
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