4th Round Match...

Round 4

Date: Sept 4[Night match]

Federer beat Lopez

3-6 6-4 6-1 6-4

After losing the 1^st set it looked as though Roger Federer was finally in trouble. But like he has done so many times in the past, the top seed and heavy favorite rapidly battled his way out of trouble, coming back from a one set deficit then digging out of triple break point early in the third set en route to a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 victory over big-serving lefty Feliciano Lopez in the fourth round.

Competing against a left-hander other than Rafael Nadal for the very first time since Roland Garros in 2006, Federer seemed out-of-sorts in the first set, losing his serve early and being unable to break back. For the third time in the pair's five meetings Lopez took a set, although the end result would be the same as their first four meetings, which were all won by Federer.

The two remained on serve through the first nine games of the second set, but a screaming backhand passing shot from Federer with Lopez serving 4-5 would bring up set point, then a high backhand volley into the net from the Spaniard sealed the second set for the Swiss.

The Lopez threat remained prominent in the opening game of the third set, as he brought about triple break point on Federer's serve. But that's when the streak began - the three-time defending champion saved all three, and would eventually go on a streak of 35 straight points on serve, which included seven consecutive love service holds. During that stretch he broke the Lopez serve three more times. He won the final two points of the match to end with 37 of his last 38 service points won.
Federer has now won 24 consecutive matches at this tournament, winning it three years running between 2004 and 2006, and now moving into the quarterfinals this year. He is trying to become the first man in the Open Era to win four straight.