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Stepanek knocks Federer out of Rome Masters
Published on Sat, May 10, 2008 at 17:03 in 
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A STEP CLOSER: Andy Roddick of the US reacts after he won against Spain's Tommy Robredo in quarter-final match at the Rome Masters.
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The sixth-seeded Roddick beat rising local favorite Simone Bolelli of Italy.
"He definitely doesn't have the results he was used to in previous years," Stepanek said. "But the other players are getting better. I came to the match with the belief that I can win."
The Rome Masters is an important clay-court tuneup for the French Open, which begins May 25. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam Federer has never won. He has also never won a title in Rome.
Last year at the Foro Italico, Federer was upset in the third round by Italian wild card Filippo Volandri.
Federer had won four of his previous five meetings with Stepanek, but the pair are now tied 2-2 on clay.
"He's difficult to play," Federer said. "He's always changing his game up a lot. But I've played him in the past, so it wasn't a surprise. I just wish I played better."
Stepanek converted his second match point with a first serve that Federer couldn't return.
In the first set tiebreaker, Stepanek took control with a volley to go up 6-4, then served an ace on his first set point.
After his illness, Federer snapped back by winning Estoril and reaching the final of the Monte Carlo Masters in his last outing, losing to Nadal.
Federer pronounced himself fully fit at the beginning of this tournament, and his problem on Friday didn't appear to be a physical one.
At one point in the first set, Federer won four straight service games without losing a point. Still, Stepanek kept up the pressure by serve-and-volleying and winning 25 of 41 points at the net.
"It was very important, because if you let him play his game, he can move the ball all around the court," Stepanek said of his aggressive tactics. "I wanted to keep the pressure on."
Stepanek served eight aces to Federer's seven.
The Czech player celebrated his victory by performing a caterpillar-like movement with his belly face-down on the clay.
"That was the way I celebrated the first tournament victory of my career," he said. "Everyone was asking me when I would do it again, but I was waiting for the right occasion, and today was special."
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