Those anti-inflammatory drugs Roger Federer's been taking? The ones that he said, after winning Madrid, were meant to alleviate an injury that might prevent him from competing in this week's Rome Masters? Clearly they didn't work; Federer was aflame this morning at the Foro Italico, wiping out Carlos Berlocq in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Coming out of the gates fast, Federer, seeded No. 3 but ranked No. 2, littered the court with winners (16 in all) and served at an eye-catching 70 percent rate in the first set.
The ball was a blur, and not just because we're back on orange clay (the ATP will be doing television viewers a huge disservice if it tucks its tail between its legs and abandons the blue-clay effort). Berlocq had twice as many break points as Federer in the set (okay, it was just 2-1, but still) but the Madrid champ brushed aside the ones he faced, and converted the only one he needed. The control Federer exerted in this one is evidenced by both the number of his forays to the net (23 for the match) and his success when he got there (18 of 23).
Berlocq is interesting mainly because he's one of those guys who, it seems to me, consistently falls between the cracks. It's not like he hails from some far-flung outpost; he's an Argentinian, right in the thick of the tennis culture and ranked No. 38 in the world. But his name just doesn't come up that often, as evidenced by the fact that while at 29 he's nearly as old as Federer, he'd never played the Mighty Fed before. Not anywhere.
In fact, Berlocq had played against any of the current ATP Top 3 a grand total of once in his entire career before today—it was a loss to Novak Djokovic. Now that's strange indeed.
Berlocq made the most of his opportunity today; he was out-played but not blown-out, and he found a way to rally from the loss of that first set to give Federer a few anxious moments before it was all over. After Federer banged out a quick break in the second, Berlocq found his range and Federer become a little sloppy when he served with a 3-2 lead.
After Berlocq fought his way to a break point—and "fighting" is the best way to describe his effortful game, even though he favors the inventive player's one-handed backhand—he smacked an inside-out forehand service winner to break back for 3-all. Berlocq then held the next game at love, mainly through the offices of suddenly crisp. It was a run during which the underdog won nine of 12 points. Federer appeared to be losing steam, and his service percentage hovered considerably below 50 percent in those early games of the second set.
But Federer quickly got his game back together and served and drop-shotted his way to a 40-0 lead. Berlocq won the next two points—the second off a wonderful lob he shoveled up in response to a penetrating Federer volley. The big surprise in that entertaining point? Running down the lob, Federer did not—I repeat for all to hear, did not—run out of his way to try to hit a 'tweener; he played it the sensible way, with a back-to-the-net backhand scoop that fell just out. But Berlocq could come no closer than 30-40; a forehand error gave Federer the game and evened the set score at 4-4.
At that point, Federer was back on message and Berlocq's game began to show serious signs of strain. Berlocq has one enormous shortcoming: He basically plays centerfield—not unlike Gael Monfils at his worst. In today's game, you don't beat quality players if you just run around, 20 feet behind the baseline, taking huge cuts and grunting so volubly that you shake the courtside signage. It might look and sound impressive, but a guy like Federer or Djokovic will use all that open space to his advantage and either run you off the court or find the angles with winner after winner.
In the ninth game, that reality, combined with errors by Berlocq, netted Federer three break points at 0-40. A forehand error wasted one of them, but Federer converted the next one with a tough-luck let-cord winner that dribbled over the net (at least that's what I think happened; it's kind of tough when it's hard to see the ball).
With the break secured, Federer served out the match with ease to end the match in a time frame more fitting for a joust on fast hard courts: 65 minutes. Berlocq sprinted up to the net like a happy golden retriever, clearly thrilled to have finally gotten another crack at one of the legends of the game.
"It's certainly a good experience for Berlocq," one of the television commentators observed.
True enough. Too bad it came at age 29.
It will be interesting to see if Federer can continue to play such aggressive tennis as he comes up against players more willing to stand their ground on or inside the baseline.