Federer makes it 21 in a row as Basel title beckons

By Bill Scott Oct 26, 2006, 23:53 GMT

Switzerland\'s Roger Federer returns a ball to Spain\'s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez during their second round match at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors tennis tournament in Basel, Switzerland, Thursday, 26 October 2006. EPA/GEORGIOS KEFALAS

Basel - Roger Federer won his 21st straight match with consummate ease as he crushed Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-0 in less than an hour to book into the quarter-finals of his hometown Davidoff Swiss Indoors Thursday.

The world number 1 with ten titles this season was untroubled by Garcia-Lopez who is ranked 75 and managed minimal resistance.

With an 84-5 record this season, Federer is lacking little, but the Swiss would still be thrilled to finally lift the Basel trophy.

He served as a ballboy at the event in his youth and lost finals in 2000 to Thomas Enqvist and 2001 to Tim Henman.

Federer is bidding to win his fourth tournament in a row after the US Open, Tokyo and Madrid.

'I was in control from 1-1 in the first set,' Federer said. 'I thought it would be harder than the first round. It was a surprise to take control the way that I did.'

That was not the case for two-time champion Henman, who felt the pain from an old bone spur problem during a loss to Federer's fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

Henman will undergo a scan on Friday in London, with his season already done after failing to be given a wild card entry for next week's concluding Paris Masters.

Number 2 David Nalbandian had to go the distance to overcome Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-6 (9-7).

Defending champion Fernando Gonzalez continued his desperate push for a place in the Shanghai Masters Cup, saving six match points to post a win over Mardy Fish 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-6 (10-8).

Gonzalez trails ninth in the battle for the final four places in the eight-man season wrap-up event in China next month. Federer, Rafael Nadal, Ivan Ljubicic and Andy Roddick have already qualified for the tournament.

He next plays Argentine teenager Juan del Potro, who beat Swiss George Bastl 6-3, 6-2.

'I have to do well here and next week in Paris,' said Gonzalez, losing finalist indoors in Vienna and Madrid this month.

Gonzalez, 11-2 in Basel, trails number 8 Tommy Robredo by 33 points in the season race with the Spaniard unable to add to his total after a first-round loss in Russia this week.

Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan improved to 29-30 this season as his late run of form continues.

The unseeded Asian has claimed semi-final spots in recent weeks at Beijing and at home in Bangkok.

His win over Juan Chela of Argentina 6-4, 6-3 set up a Friday meeting with seventh-seeded Jose Acasuso.

The South American booked his place over German Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (7-1), 6-1.