Olympics: Federer knocked out by Blake

Friday, 15 August 2008

BEIJING - Top seed Roger Federer was sent crashing out of the Olympic Games on Thursday when US number one James Blake pulled off a shock 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) quarter-final victory.

Federer, who is enduring the worst season of his career, was broken when serving for the first set and crushed in the second-set tie-break, ending his bid for a first Olympic medal.

It was Federer's third defeat in six matches since losing his five-year Wimbledon crown. The 27-year-old Swiss is also set to be supplanted by Rafael Nadal on Monday after four-and-a-half years as world number one.

Blake, wearing a red headband to go with his white shirt and blue shorts, started with grim intent and Federer needed a service winner to stave off a break point in game eight.

The American earned another chance at 5-4 when Federer went long after a pulsating rally. The Swiss then produced an incredible leaping backhand from behind the baseline but dunked his next shot into the net to go a set down.

Federer lacked his usual aggression, looking content to rally and misfiring with the serve and forehand. Blake capitalised by forcing three break points in game two of the second set, going ahead when Federer put a backhand long.

The scare seemed to spark Federer into action and he broke back at 1-3 when Blake swiped a backhand into the tramlines.

Boos erupted when a camera-toting spectator started snapping Federer while he was serving at 3-4, earning sharp words from the Swiss and a rebuke from the chair umpire.

As tension mounted, Federer held off Blake in two service games to force the tie-break. But the aggressive Blake, pummelling the Swiss with his big forehand, raced to a 4-1 lead.

He put away his first match point when Federer's service return went long, dropping to his knees and screaming in delight.

Blake had lost all eight of their previous matches, winning only one set in five years of trying.

The American missed the 2004 Games during a traumatic spell when he broke his neck, lost his father to cancer and developed shingles.

Federer finished fourth in 2000 but was shocked in round two four years ago early in his reign as world number one.

Nadal is playing Austria's Jurgen Melzer later while France's Paul-Henri Mathieu and Gael Monfils are up against Fernando Gonzalez and Novak Djokovic respectively in the other quarter-finals.

Federer was beaten by Gilles Simon in Canada and then fell to Ivo Karlovic in Cincinnati before arriving in Beijing, where he beat Dmitry Tursunov, Rafael Arevalo and Tomas Berdych to reach the last eight.