rogerfederer.com - A great performance

A great performance

Roger ended Wesley Moodie's reign as Japan Open champion with a 6-2 6-1 win to reach the quarter-finals in Tokyo.

 

Very concentratet right from the start, it took Roger just 51 minutes to defeat the South African, improving his win-loss record this year to 74-5.

 

"I played great and came up with an incredible match," Roger told reporters. "I hit a few really great shots but to win so convincingly was quite surprising."

 

ROger won seven straight games from 3-2 in the first set with an awesome display of stroke-making that left Moodie shaking his head in disbelief.

One angled backhand return from Roger that drifted away from Moodie and onto the line to give him a break for 2-0 in the second set even brought a wry smile to Roger's face. The nine-times grand slam singles champion had struggled to beat 276th-ranked qualifier Viktor Troicki 7-6 7-6 in his opening match and the unfortunate Moodie felt the full backlash.

 

Roger wrapped up the formalities on his first match point with a kicking second serve that brought a wild backhand from his deflated opponent, who looked relieved his ordeal was over.

"I had trouble returning yesterday and I was expecting worse today," Roger added. "But my reaction time was faster throughout the match today and I got the read better."

 

Roger will play either Germany's Alexander Waske or Japanese wildcard Takao Suzuki in the quarter-finals. Roger's match with Moodie was played under a closed roof in Tokyo as rain washed out much of Thursday's play.