Federer admits relief after he grinds his way past Andreev

ROGER Federer admitted he was a relieved man after narrowly avoiding a fourth-round upset at the US Open yesterday.

The second-seeded Federer dug deep to defeat Igor Andreev 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 while No3 seed Novak Djokovic also survived a five-set match to book spots in the quarter-finals. Andy Roddick joined the pair with a rout in the day's final match.

Federer is hoping to capture his fifth consecutive US Open title and had not lost a set in the first three rounds. In fact, Federer had won 21 straight sets at Flushing Meadows dating back to last year.

The 27-year-old Swiss, who has reached the semi-finals in each of the last 17 Grand Slam events, is seeking his 13th major championship.

But he was off the pace from the start, producing a number of poor shots before losing the first set on a tie-break after sending a backhand wide to give Andreev set point before another wayward effort saw the Russian take the upper hand.

The second set once again went to a tie-break. Federer raced into a 3-0 lead and although Andreev battled back to 5-6, the 27-year-old converted set-point at the third time of asking to level at one set apiece.

Federer, cheered on by the crowd, started to display his more customary form and comfortably won the third set 6-3 but Andreev continued to battle and took the encounter to a fifth behind an impressive service effort to win the fourth set by the same margin.

However, the No2 seed raised his game to come through a tough contest that lasted just over three-and-a-half hours when he claimed the fifth set after Andreev's attempted lob went long. He will now face qualifier Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the last eight.

"He was dictating play," said Federer. "I don't remember that many five-set matches.

"Being down a set and tie-break in the second set there is danger written all over that situation. You just hope that it's going to turn your way. It did. So I'm happy."

Djokovic, one of the favourites to dethrone Federer this year, booked his place in the quarter-finals earlier on Tuesday but also needed five sets to hold off 15th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-4, 2-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

The reigning Australian Open champion, who was slowed down by an ankle injury earlier in the tournament, required treatment for a right hip problem in the second set and needed three hours, 25 minutes to reach the last eight.

It was the second straight match that the 21-year-old Serb had to fight back from a set down after he recorded a 6-7 (7/9), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) victory over 30th-seed Marin Cilic of Croatia on Sunday.

"The hip was a problem during the match but it was more exhaustion," Djokovic said. "The physio helped me a lot and it was a hot day. I don't think I would have felt that bad today if I didn't finish so late two nights ago."

Robredo, however, accused Djokovic of exaggerating the seriousness of his injuries to get some extra rest. "I have pain, as well. I was running like hell and my feet were burning but I say nothing," said Robredo, who tumbled to the ground in the fifth set while lunging after a Djokovic shot.

"I think that if you're not fit enough, then don't play. But after every time he was asking for a trainer, he was running like hell and he was making the shot. But he does what he does a lot of times."

Robredo felt Djokovic was taking advantage of rules that allowed players to receive multiple medical breaks provided it was a new problem that needed to be treated by the trainer.

It is not the first time that Djokovic has been accused of stretching the rules.

In 2006 and 2007, he was criticised by many opponents, including Federer during a Davis Cup rubber, for seeking medical time-outs at critical junctures in a match.

"So I think we should take care a lot more of these things, because one thing is that if you fell down like I did, I can have blood and it's normal that the trainer gets in because there's blood or whatever," said Robredo.

"But for having pain, I had pain, as well, all over my body because I think I run a lot more than him and I said nothing.

"So did I trust him? No. I think he took his time because he did it because he was a little bit more tired and that's a part of the game. It helped him a lot."

Djokovic's next opponent, Roddick, was already making a mental note of the medical time-outs the Serbian can request when they meet in the quarter-finals today.

"A back and a hip? And a cramp?... bird flu... anthrax... SARS... common cough and cold," Roddick listed for reporters.

"If its there, it's there, there's just a lot. He's either quick to call a trainer or he's the most courageous guy of all time. It's up to you guys to decide."

While Federer and Djokovic were pushed to the limit, Roddick barely broke sweat in a 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 rout of 11th seed Fernando Gonzalez from Chile.

Roddick won 53 of 62 points on his serve and faced only one break point against Gonzalez as he attempts to win his second US Open title.

The eighth seed, the second American to reach the quarter-finals of the men's competition, produced 30 winners and only seven unforced errors in his convincing win over Gonzalez, who claimed the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics.

"I feel good," Roddick said. "I've got to feel good, he's got about 16 injuries right now."

But Roddick said the 21-year-old Djokovic had youth on his side, as well as a better record in recent months, and that he himself had been fighting various injuries.

"He's had a much better year to this point so it's a matter of if you want to look back ten days or ten months," the 2003 champion added. "He's the favourite, and it seems like every grand slam he's having these long drawn out battles."

Muller, meanwhile, advanced by knocking out fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (12/10).

Davydenko had reached the semis here in both 2006 and 2007.