Federer blows past Del Potro, Kerber books Venus clash

MIAMI, AFP: In-form Roger Federer powered his way into the fourth round of the Miami Open with a 6-3 6-4 win over Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro on Monday.
Del Potro always enjoys plenty of crowd support in Miami, which has a large Argentine community, and it was the same story again with football-style chants of support ringing out for the 28-year-old on a packed Crandon Park center court.
It was the pair's first meeting since 2013 and having won 15 of the previous 21 encounters, Federer was favorite – but the crowd factor gave the third round match an added edge.
"Shortly before I walked out to the court you could sense the atmosphere. That's when I told myself, Just be prepared for something different, you know. It was different," Federer said.
He was forced to save four break points in the first set but he got ahead with a thundering forehand to take a 5-3 lead and served out for the set.
The Argentine had a chance to turn things around when he had a break point when down 4-3 in the second set but Federer, moving well and looking full of confidence, held firm and wrapped up the match in one hour and 22 minutes.
"I felt like I was in control and I was able to generate more chances than he did," Federer said.
"I felt like he got his chances a little bit out of nowhere, maybe because I dropped my level ever so slightly and gave him few easy points, and that's how he sort of got more chances on my serve.
"I feel like I earned it more. I was more the aggressor. It was more on my racquet, and I like it that way," added the Swiss, who won his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
Federer, whose successful return from a six-month injury layoff has also included a win at Indian Wells this month, will face 14th seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the next round.
Federer's compatriot and top-seed Stan Wawrinka defeated Tunisian Malek Jaziri 6-3, 6-4.
Wawrinka saved all six break points he faced and converted two of his four break opportunities and will now face Alexander Zverev of Germany in the fourth round on Tuesday.
Zverev pulled off a remarkable win over American John Isner, saving three match points as he came back from a set down to triumph 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5)
Czech Tomas Berdych, Miami finalist in 2010, defeated Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-4 while Australia's Nick Kyrgios held off a strong effort from big serving Croat Ivo Karlovic on the way to a 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-2) win.
Kyrgios will play Belgian David Goffin, who narrowly edged a three-set thriller against Argentine Diego Schwartzmann.
In the women's draw, world number one Angelique Kerber despatched Japanese qualifier Risa Ozaki 6-2, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal clash with Venus Williams.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams fought past Russian seventh-seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the last eight.
Fourth-seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia crashed out to the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova and ailing French Open champion Garbine Muguruza also bowed out in the fourth round.
Kerber took charge early, breaking twice to establish a 4-1 lead and she was in firm control from then on.
The German said that while her opponent may only have been ranked 87th she had studied Ozaki's game closely before the contest.
"She came through the qualies, she beat good players, so I was ready for it,” Kerber said.
“I talked with my team and I knew that she's moving good and bringing a lot of balls back. I was trying to play my game and be aggressive."
Williams cruised through the first set before Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion and runner-up at Indian Wells last week, fought back to take the second set to a tie-break.
It was a fierce battle for the decisive points, Kuznetsova going 4-1 up, but after two lengthy rallies, both of which were won by the 36-year-old Williams, the oldest player in the tournament emerged victorious.
The victory, sealed with a delicate slice at the net, was Williams' first against a top 10 opponent since 2015.
“It was tough out there," Williams said. "She is like a wall. To come back in the tie-break was great, I hope I can keep that tennis up."
Safarova, ranked 36th in the world, moved into the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 victory over Cibulkova, which was her first triumph against a top 10 opponent since 2015.
Illness has disrupted Safarova's campaigns over the past two years but the seven-time WTA title winner, looks to be on the right track.
"I feel healthy now — thank God and I'll keep trying to push my limits more and more,” she said.
The 30-year-old Czech will face Dane Caroline Wozniacki who advanced when Spain's Muguruza retired feeling ill after being edged in a first set tie-break.
In an all-Czech clash, number two seed Karolina Pliskova enjoyed a 6-1, 6-4 win over Barbora Strycova.
Pliskova will come up against Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni whose impressive late career revival continued with the 35-year-old beating American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 7-5, 6-4.
Lucic-Baroni said she was benefitting from a more thoughtful approach to preparation.
"I've always worked hard, but we're working much smarter now," she said.
”We're not murdering me six hours a day anymore, but we're doing good things."
While she has never appeared in the Miami quarters before, this will be her third quarter-final appearance in her last four WTA events and she goes into the match knowing she beat Piliskova in the last eight in the Australian Open.
Romanian third seed Simona Halep showed her trademark fighting spirit in an enthralling win against Australia's Samantha Stosur, coming back from a set and 5-2 down in the second, saving a match point before going on to win the third set.
"I've been always like this," Halep said. "I never give up, I don't like to give up matches. I am here to play, away from home, I am going to give my all, always."
RESULTS
Men
3rd rd
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x1) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-3, 6-4
Alexander Zverev (GER) bt John Isner (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5)
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x12) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO x17) 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2)
David Goffin (BEL x8) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Roger Federer (SUI x4) bt Juan Martin del Potro (ARG x29) 6-3, 6-4
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x14) bt Sam Querrey (USA x22) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Tomas Berdych (CZE x10) bt Gilles Muller (LUX x24) 6-3, 6-4
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3)
Women
4th rd
Angelique Kerber (GER x1) bt Risa Ozaki (JPN) 6-2, 6-2
Venus Williams (USA x11) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x7) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS x14) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Johanna Konta (GBR x10) bt Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 7-5, 6-1
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x12) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x6) 7-6 (7/1), retired, illness
Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x4) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO x26) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 7-5, 6-4
Karolina Pliskova (CZE x2) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE x15) 6-1, 6-4