Yesterday at the 2017 Rogers Cup it seemed like everything went Rafael Nadal's way. Not only did he win, but all of the accomplished players in his section of the draw went out to less-accomplished ones. On Thursday something like that happened on the other half of the draw. The result is that Roger Federer has now picked up what should be a routine draw to the 2017 Rogers Cup final in Montreal.
Federer now 17-0 against Ferrer
Firstly, Federer did his part on Thursday as he defeated David Ferrer. The line score in that match was 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 with the Spaniard at least getting Federer's attention in the match. Ferrer had won Bastad on clay a little while ago so there may be something in his game right now that has been absent for a couple of years. But Federer improved to 17-0 against the Spaniard in booking a quarter-final spot in Montreal with ambitions of winning the title this weekend.
"I already beat other players 17 times," said Federer after the match. "Sometimes I played them maybe 30 or 40 times.
They ended up beating me at a certain stage, like Roddick, Gonzalez, and Soderling. Sometimes I beat them ten times in a row. In the end, they always ended up beating me. That's why I have a lot of respect for this match today. I know it can't continue that way. 17 is a lot" (qtd. at the ATP's website).
Gael Monfils went out in Federer's half, meaning that the Swiss Maestro will next face Roberto Bautista-Agut. That's another Spaniard that just hasn't been able to solve Federer in the past. In six previous matches not only is Bautista-Agut 0-6, but he is winless in all sets played (14 sets to love). Bautista-Agut's last match against Federer was not one sided as he took Federer to two tiebreakers back in Miami.
He'll be looking to make things competitive again as he looks like the last player that might keep Federer from the final.
Schwartzman, Haase no success versus Federer
Should Federer advance to the semifinals, then he would face either Diego Schwartzman or Robin Haase. The former took out third-seeded Dominic Thiem earlier this week. Meanwhile the latter upset Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday. Neither Schwartzman nor Haase has ever beaten Federer in four compiled matches. That means that the players remaining in Federer's path to the final are 0-10 against the Swiss.
They are also 1-24 in sets played against him, an egregious compiled record between them. The three of them combined have played 25 sets against Federer with just Schwartzman managing to win a set against the current World No.
3. The two tiebreakers that Bautista-Agut forced earlier this year, both won by Federer, are the only ones to be played in the 25 sets. Not only has Federer dominated the players that are in his path to the final, but he has in fact utterly dominated them.