Swiss star Roger Federer outclassed Roberto Bautista-Agut as he inched closer to his sixth title of the season with a 6-4, 6-4 win in the quarterfinals of the Montreal Masters on Friday.
Federer hammered five aces, made just two double faults and won 81% of his first serve points in the 68-minute centre court match. He dominated at the net, winning 21 of 25 points.
Federer posted his seventh consecutive win over the Spaniard and improved his season record to 34-2. He has a ATP Tour high five titles in 2017.
Federer has an opportunity to regain his World No.1 ranking. He would need to win here and have an equal or better finish than Rafael Nadal at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati next week to become the World No.1 on Aug. 21.
Federer will next face Robin Haase of the Netherlands, who defeated Diego Schwartzman 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 earlier in the day.
It will be just the second career meeting between the two. The pair met in a Davis Cup World Group play-off in 2012 with Federer winning 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
Denis Shapovalov continued his dream run on Friday by rallying to beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Mannarino became the fourth established ATP player this week to fall at the hands of the 18-year-old left-handed Canadian.
Shapovalov’s win over Mannarino came just 24 hours after he defeated 10-time French Open champion Nadal to get into the quarters. Shapovalov also upset former US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round.
Fourth seeded Alexander Zverev defeated South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 to set up a clash of rising stars with Shapovalov.
Zverev, 20, is the youngest player ranked in the top 20 in the world and Shapovalov is the youngest since 1990 to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal.
In doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig powered past Gael Monfils and Benoit Paire of France 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
A marathon
At the Toronto WTA event, Caroline Wozniacki defeated World No.1 Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 6-7(3) 6-4 in a marathon quarterfinals match marred by four rain delays.
The victory marks Wozniacki’s first career win against a No.1 and gives the 27-year-old a 6-2 advantage in head-to-head matches with Pliskova.
Wozniacki next faces Sloane Stephens after the American beat Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.
The results:
Quarterfinals: At Montreal: Robin Haase bt Diego Schwartzman 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Roger Federer bt Roberto Bautista-Agut 6-4, 6-4; Denis Shapovalov bt Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Alexander Zverev bt Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-4. Doubles: Rohan Bopanna & Ivan Dodig bt Gael Monfils & Benoit Paire 6-2, 7-5
At Toronto: Caroline Wozniacki bt Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4; Sloane Stephens bt Lucie Safarova 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 .
