(writes through with quotes)
By Simon Cambers
NEW YORK, Sept 6 - Champion Roger Federer dropped
his first set at this year's U.S. Open on Tuesday before
battling past German Nicolas Kiefer 6-4 6-7 6-3 6-4 to reach the
quarter-finals.
Kiefer, the only man to take a set off Federer at Wimbledon
this year, had the world number one rattled but the Swiss dug
deep to set up a match with Argentine David Nalbandian or
Italian Davide Sanguinetti.
"It was difficult, four sets says it all," Federer said.
"But my reaction was good and I feel very good right now
because it was a tough match."
Federer lost to Nalbandian in the fourth round at Flushing
Meadows in 2003, and has lost five of his seven encounters with
the Argentine.
"I've got a bad record against Nalbandian so I would like to
play him," Federer said.
Top seed Federer recovered from a break down to win the
first set but although Kiefer let slip a 3-0 lead in the second,
the German snatched the tiebreak 7-3 to level the match.
Kiefer, the world number 38, had two break points at 3-3 in
the third set but Federer saved them both, one with an exquisite
backhand pass.
Federer then broke in the eighth game and held to win the
third set.
An early break in the fourth set was enough to seal victory
and extend his winning streak on hard courts to 32 matches.