By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Playing his first clay-court match in three years, Roger Federer showed a stinging serve and soft touch in 6-2, 6-3, sweep of Richard Gasquet to reach the Madrid round of 16.
@MutuaMadridOpen
Absence makes the heart grow fonder—Roger Federer made heart rates faster in his long-awaited clay-court return.
Playing his first clay-court match in three years, Federer showed a stinging serve and soft touch in 6-2, 6-3, sweep of Richard Gasquet to reach the Madrid round of 16.
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Greeted by a buzzing crowd and familiar opponent, Federer served with command, broke in the second game and carved the Frenchman up with some slithering slices and stealth drop shots breezing to a 52-minute victory without facing a break point.
"I think it was a good match," Federer told the ATP afterward. "Look, I thought definitely it's nice to be back on the clay, I'm happy to be here. Can't believe it's been that many days (since my last clay match). It hasn't felt like I've been that long away because practice has been going well the last few weeks and it's given me a lift to know I can play on this surface and of course I grew up on this surface so I feel comfortable.
"I think for both of us, it was a special match here in Madrid."
Moving fluidly and playing efficiently, Federer beat a rusty Gasquet, who was playing his first tournament after undergoing groin surgery on January 18th, for the 18th time in 20 meetings.
The Miami champion pumped seven aces and dropped just six points on his first serve.
It was Federer's first Madrid match since a 20-year-old Nick Kyrgios converted his sixth match point edging the Swiss in an epic 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (12) triumph on May 6, 2015.
The three-time Madrid champion made an immediate impression. Federer fired an ace to finish the opening game.
Dancing around his backhand, Federer banged a diagonal forehand then won an extended exchange of one-handed backhands, rattling out a framed mis-fire from the Frenchman to break in the second game.
Training for his clay-comeback, Federer practiced in the altitude of the Swiss Alps last month to prepare for the elevation of Madrid. The 20-time Grand Slam champion showed serve precision sliding successive aces to hold for 4-1.
The altitude of Madrid rewards Federer's attacking style more than some other clay courts. The Swiss showed the shot spectrum lashing a forehand, ladling a volley short in the court and launching a stinging serve stretching his lead to 5-2 after just 20 minutes.
Channeling his old Hopman Cup partner, Martina Hingis, Federer pulled the string on an audacious drop shot return winner than faded another dropper for set point.
Gasquet, a fine feel master himself, tried to extend the string with a drop shot of his own but found the top of the tape. Federer's second break sealed the 23-minute opening set.
The Swiss set the tone on serving winning 11 of 12 first-serve points in the set.
The 32-year-old Frenchman began finding his groove at the start of the second set, stamping his first love hold in his fifth service game of the night.
Generating impressive racquet-head speed from his sweeping swings, Gasquet requires time to generate his ground strokes and Federer was routinely rushing the Frenchman in his service games taking the ball on the rise.
The transition game produced the lone break of the second set as Federer snapped a smash down the line breaking at 15 for 5-3.
The fourth seed charged through 12 of the final 15 points improving his Madrid record to 36-8.
Seven years after he won his last Madrid title, Federer will play either Gael Monfils or Marton Fucsovics for a quarterfinal spot.