Former world's No. 1 Roger Federer and ex-U.S. Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro will attempt to move closer towards arranging a final rematch on Friday as they take on respective quarterfinal opponents at the 2013 Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland.
Federer will try to further solidify his spot in next month's ATP World Tour Finals by beating up-and-coming tennis star Grigor Dimitrov.
Dimitrov, who is the current boyfriend of tennis darling Maria Sharapova, arranged a quarterfinals showdown with Federer following his 6-3, 6-2 victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov.
On the other hand, the Swiss Master struggled again with his shots but managed to overcome a spirited challenge from Denis Istomin 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the final eight of the tourney.
Federer's admission of his ongoing struggles was alarming, considering that he needs to do better in his next two tournaments - the other is at Paris Masters - to secure his spot in the Tour Finals. Fortunately for him, the home crowd kept him pumped up throughout the grueling third-set battle.
"I think the crowd rarely gets the opportunity to see me play three sets, whether good or bad," Federer told reporters via ATP Tour. "It was nice seeing the crowd fight for me and try to get me back into the match. It gives you that extra push to try harder."
Friday's quarterfinal match will feature the first-ever encounter between the Maestro and his student in Dimitrov, who is often mentioned as the 'Baby Fed.'
"I've always wanted to play [Federer]," Dimitrov told Steve Tennis. "He's the greatest. He's given opportunity to so many players and has brought so much to the game. Everyone wants to be part of that. I'm excited and looking forward to our match."
Meanwhile, defending champion Juan Martin Del Potro will also look to advance to the next round when he takes on Paul-Henri Mathieu, who defeated French compatriot Michael Llodra 6-4 6-3 in the second round.
Del Potro booked his quarterfinal spot after sailing past Marcos Baghdatis 6-1, 6-2 to keep his domination over Cyprus' top netter for the third straight time this year.
Live Streaming & Schedule
Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Paul-Henri Mathieu will start at 12 p.m. EST. It will be followed by Roger Federer vs. Grigor Dimitrov at 2 p.m EST. Tennis Channel will cover Swiss Indoors matches while live steaming feed is available on ESPN Watch. Live scores is available on ESPN Tennis.
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