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Roger Federer made a great start at the first edition of the Madrid Open in Caja Magica in 2009. The Swiss beat Robin Soderling in the second round and set the clash against James Blake. Federer needed 62 minutes to dismantle James 6-2, 6-4 and sail into the quarter-final.
Roger lost 14 points behind the initial shot on the fast clay. He fended off the only break chance and produced three breaks from four opportunities to control the scoreboard and celebrate his ninth victory over the American in ten encounters.
Looking sharp right from the start, Roger placed a return winner in the encounter's opening game for an instant break. He hit a service winner in the next one to cement the lead and open a 2-0 gap. The American got his name on the scoreboard with a hold at 30 in game three before the Swiss earned another comfortable hold with a service winner that sent him 3-1 up.
Roger Federer eased past James Blake to reach the Madrid Open quarter-final in 2009.
Finding his strokes in those moments, Blake closed the fifth game and created his only break chance a few minutes later after Roger's forehand mistake.
The Swiss erased it with an ace and brought the game home with a forehand winner to remain in front. Federer painted a backhand down the line winner in the seventh game to move 5-2 up and serve for the opener. He cracked a forehand crosscourt winner in game eight to bring the set home in no time and gain a boost.
James sprayed a forehand mistake at the beginning of the second set to lose serve and drift further away from a positive result. Roger confirmed the lead with a hold at love before James held with an ace down the T line to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Firing from all cylinders, Federer closed the fourth game with a service winner to move closer to the finish line. Blake secured the fifth game with a hold at love, hoping for a chance on the return if he wanted to prolong the encounter.
Roger grabbed the sixth game with a service winner and placed another at 4-3 to remain in front. In his last service game, the American held at love to reduce the deficit to 4-5, with one more chance to prolong the battle. Instead, the Swiss landed three service winners in game ten to move over the top and sail into the quarter-final.