One Champion Goes On, the Other Goes Out

The players responsible for the last four men’s singles titles at the Pacific Life Open had a rough ride in third-round matches Tuesday.

Roger Federer, the world’s No. 1 player and winner in the Indian Wells Garden the last two years, skidded and spun out a lot before finally finding some traction and winning. Tenth-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, champion here in 2002 and ‘03, crashed and burned.

Federer got past 5-foot-5 Belgian Olivier Rochus, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, and admitted later that Rochus is the kind of player who “gets into your head.”

Rochus was so deep into Federer’s head that Federer didn’t manage a break point, in a highly competitive and entertaining final set, until Federer cracked a bullet at Rochus at the net and all Rochus could do was duck and pray. That made it 15-40 and Federer, finally getting an opportunity to shake this tiny pit bull, whistled a passing shot past Rochus on the first match point. Federer has started 2006 with an 18-1 record, losing only this month’s Dubai final to Rafael Nadal.

Hewitt, in his prime a pit bull himself, with two major titles and two extended stays at No. 1 in 2001 and 2002, was beaten, 7-5, 6-3, by Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, who, at 20, is five years younger than Hewitt.

Berdych, best known for beating Federer at the Athens Olympics, said he was happy because Hewitt is so hard to beat.

“He’s fighting all the time,” Berdych said. “The score can be 6-0, 6-0, 5-0, and he’s still fighting.”

So was Rochus, who impressed the crowd so much in the Stadium Court that he left to a standing ovation.

“I think I’ve never been so close to beating him,” said Rochus, who beat Federer once in junior tennis, but never since the age of 14. “On the big points, he always serves aces or makes the great forehand. He’s not No. 1 for nothing.”

Croatian Davis Cup players Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, who combined to beat the U.S. team in Carson last year and went on to win the Cup, each won and will meet in the round of 16. Ljubicic beat Gael Monfils of France, 6-3, 6-2, and Ancic beat Davide Sanguinetti of Italy, 7-6, (5) 6-3.

Also advancing was Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who leaped into prominence with his run to the Australian Open final. He outlasted former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.

Richard Gasquet of France advanced to a spot against Federer with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Dominic Hrbaty of Slovakia.

In a late match, Nadal beat Mardy Fish, 6-1, 6-4. Fish is an Olympic silver medalist who has slipped so far in the rankings (No. 294) that he needed a wild card to get into the draw.