Roger Federer honored in Halle on 30th Anniversary

 

What better 30th anniversary present for the Terra Wortmann Open than a visit from ATP Tour greatness?

Ten-time champion Roger Federer was the guest of honour Wednesday at the ATP 500 event in Halle, where a special ceremony was held to mark the Swiss' achievements inside OWL Arena. The 103-time tour-level champion admitted it was surreal to drop back in on the ATP Tour after he played his final professional event at the Laver Cup last September.

“This is my first time back to a tournament [since I retired], so it feels a little bit strange in a very good way,” Federer told ATP Media on the tournament’s ‘Roger Federer Day’. “I always feel once you’ve retired you need a proper purpose to come back, and that’s why we are here to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the tournament here in Halle.”

Federer boasted a 69-8 career record in Halle, where he triumphed in 2003-06, 2008, 2013-15, 2017 and 2019. He is an integral part of the history of the tournament, and photos of the Swiss lifting the trophy still adorn the site in north-west Germany.

“With Halle, we go way back,” said Federer. “I don’t know the first time I ever came here, maybe 22 years ago, and I played 18 years in those years. More than just a partnership, it’s also become a friendship over the years with the Weber family, first Gerhard Weber and then Ralf, who is now the tournament director. So it’s been a wonderful time, obviously also [I had] a lot of success here.

“[There were] great times, good moments spent as well in the second part of my career with the family. My kids would be running around all across the venue, and also the fans. We got to know them all, there’s been a lot of moments for interactions as well. It’s been really good, to be honest, and I always love coming here, so it’s really nice to come back again once I’m retired.”

While Federer is enjoying his time away from professional tennis so far, he maintains a keen interest in the ATP Tour and the fortunes of his former rivals.

“I’m very surprised at how often and how frequently I check scores,” said the five-time year-end No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “Three times a day maybe. Then of course all of a sudden there’s times when I check out for like a week, and then I’m with the kids and I’m travelling, and you forget about everything around you. But for the most part, actually, I’m really into it.

“I think there’s some great matches going on. I try to check some highlights, reels more than watching games per se because my life is also a little bit busy, but I’m really happy [to]. I think that the level of play is going up again and again and it’s nice to see that. Also the new generation, challenging the likes of Novak and also Rafa. I hope he comes back.

“It’s good times in tennis and I always said that tennis is so great at always keeping on evolving. So [I am a] big fan of tennis and what all the players are doing is absolutely fantastic.”

Despite his continued keen interest in the game, Federer admitted he has not stepped back on court much since he partnered his great on-court rival Rafael Nadal in his final match at the Laver Cup in London.

“I haven’t booked a court yet, called up a friend and said ‘Let’s go play tennis’,” said Federer. “That hasn’t happened yet, but I play a lot with my children, so I try to help them a little bit, try to be a coach, but it’s not easy. It’s going to create some good memories for us.

“Hopefully down the road I can play some exhibitions again, when the body is healed up and all ready to go, but for the time being I’m just really happy away from the game. But like I said, I follow it still pretty closely.”

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Roger Federer reflects on early loss in Halle

Roger Federer failed to reach the quarter-finals at the NOVENTI OPEN for the first time in 18 appearances with his three-set loss against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday. Afterwards, the Swiss legend, who is now 5-3 on the season, admitted that coming back from the two right knee surgeries he had last year has not been easy.

“It’s a huge challenge for me. Everybody who has been in multiple surgeries or a tough surgery knows what I’m talking about,” Federer said. “Things don’t come simple, they don’t come easy. You second-guess yourself rather quickly unfortunately, and that’s sometimes the biggest worry: the worry of pain or the worry of how you’re going to feel the next day or when you wake up, the first steps, how did they feel? All this stuff, it takes a little bit of a toll on you sometimes.”

Federer battled through a tight first set against the 20-year-old, and looked good in taking the lead. But the 10-time Halle champion made a lot of errors and showed uncharacteristic frustration in the third set. The former World No. 1 faced 15 break points in the match.

“Of course I know Felix is a great player and he was better today. I would have maybe lost anyhow. But it’s a tough court to play on, so it makes me really happy looking back at how grateful I can be about how well it’s gone here in Halle and how difficult it is to win here,” Federer said. “This type of third set I cannot accept. The first two are totally okay, no problem there. But I guess it happens and it’s all good from my side.”

The 103-time tour-level titlist said he has “felt overall very good” over the past year as he has rehabbed and attempted to work his way towards his best tennis. This was his fourth tournament since the 2020 Australian Open.

“I didn’t mind the whole rehab process and all that stuff. It has been one that I have also enjoyed, something different. I was able to stay home with the family and that was nice from that standpoint,” Federer said. “But then of course once you get back on the court you want it so badly like you used to, and then you get disappointed with a performance or shots or a feeling you have or negativity that creeps in. You just are [like], ‘That’s too bad. Why is that happening?’ And you’re just trying to figure that out.

“But I think that’s why I’ve always explained throughout this process, I need to take every match as information, I need to figure it out. I need to understand why it’s going on.”

Federer was especially pleased with how he played in the first set, but he felt his level quickly slip away in the decider.

“I just think the consistency point for point has not been easy for me in the comeback, and I knew that’s what it is going to take,” Federer said. “The good thing coming out of a match like this against a great player is I know what I need to think about moving forward. Clearly I need to do a bit better, but overall I thought also Felix played a great match. He stayed mentally very solid. He showed that he wanted to win and he was better at the end."

The World No. 8 was most disappointed with his attitude, which he felt contributed to the third set going the way it did. But after absorbing what happened in the match, the 39-year-old is confident that he can now move forward, work on his game and turn the page to Wimbledon.

“I realised it was not going to be my day. There was nothing I can do. I started to get really negative and this is not normally how I am by any means,” Federer said. “I think this is not something I’m happy about and proud about, but at the same time, if I look at my 1,500 matches I’ve played, these things happen. The good thing is that I know it will not happen the next time around and the next time and the next time."

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Roger Federer makes winning return on grass at Noventi Open in Halle

Roger Federer made a good start to his grass-court season on Monday with a 7-6(4), 7-5 win against Ilya Ivashka in the first round of the NOVENTI OPEN.

“[I] had a tough moment early on in the first set when he had break points, so that was crucial to get out of those,” Federer said in his on-court interview. “And then I played a really good tie-break, which I was happy about. I think as the match went on I started to create more opportunities and started to also calm my nerves a bit.

“Overall I think I served very well. Clearly, I can always be a little bit better, but I’m very happy and excited that I was able to get through the first one.”

The Swiss superstar has made clear that he has been building up for this grass-court season. And in his first match on the surface since 2019, Federer did not lose serve and advanced after one hour and 35 minutes, setting a second-round clash against Felix Auger-Aliassime or Hubert Hurkacz.

"I missed it. I hadn’t played a tournament [on grass] in two years on this surface," Federer said. "I’ve done the hard courts, I’ve done the clay and now [I am] on the grass. It’s been great being back here in Halle. I love playing here."

This is the 39-year-old’s fourth tournament of the season following a quarter-final showing in Doha, a second-round loss in Geneva and a run to the fourth round at Roland Garros, where he withdrew before playing Matteo Berrettini.

There was a significant gulf between Federer and Ivashka’s experience on this surface. The Belarusian had previously played four tour-level matches on grass, while the former World No. 1 has won 19 grass-court titles, including 10 in Halle. With his victory, Federer is now 69-7 at this tournament.

Although Ivashka had not had a lot of grass-court experience, he walked on court Monday with confidence. Not only did he qualify for this tournament, but he pushed Rafael Nadal to three sets in Barcelona and made the semi-finals in Munich.

The World No. 90 dominated on serve for a large majority of the match and did not face a break point until his 11th service game. Ivashka saved a match point at 4-5 in the second set when he barely squeezed a backhand volley into the net. But Federer did not slip a 0/40 advantage in his next return game. On the Swiss’ fourth match point, Ivashka missed a low forehand approach shot into the net for the only break of the match.

Federer has now won 10 of his past 11 matches at this ATP 500. The 103-time tour-level titlist was not at his flying best, but he was never under threat, winning 77 per cent of his first-serve points and saving the two break points he faced.

"I’m excited to be back on the green grass," Federer said. "And getting a win is obviously always very nice.

Did You Know?
Federer has advanced to at least the quarter-finals in each of his 17 previous appearances in Halle. The last time he failed to make the semi-finals at this event was in 2001, when he was 19.

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Roger Federer, Deniil Medvedev lead strong field in Halle at Noventi Open

 

Kei Nishikori Twitter

Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev will lead the field at this year's Noventi Open, a grass-court ATP 500 event to be held from 14-20 June. Four Top 10 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings have entered.

Federer is a 10-time titlist at the event, where he has tallied a 68-7 record and reached at least the semi-finals in his past 15 appearances. Medvedev, the World No. 2, will make his tournament debut.

Alexander Zverev will try to triumph on home soil as he makes his sixth appearance at the tournament. The 24-year-old made back-to-back championship matches in Halle in 2016 and 2017, losing against Florian Mayer and Federer, respectively.

Andrey Rublev is the fourth Top 10 player in the field, and he will compete in the main draw for the second time after reaching the 2017 quarter-finals. Other players to watch include Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime, Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz, Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut and former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori.

A German has won four of the past 11 editions of the event. In addition to Zverev, home favourites Dominik Koepfer and Jan-Lennard Struff have also entered.

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Roger Federer flies into 13th Halle final

On Saturday afternoon, Roger Federer set a NOVENTI OPEN tournament record. And by doing so, the top seed will have a chance to make personal history on Sunday.

Federer defeated Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3, 6-3 to reach his 13th final in Halle, the most in the ATP 500 event’s history. The World No. 3 will face David Goffin in the championship match, an opportunity for the Swiss to claim his 10th title here. If Federer accomplishes the feat, it will be the first time he has lifted 10 trophies at a single tournament.

"It’s great. I thought it was a very solid performance from me," Federer said. "I didn’t struggle on serve and [when] I had my opportunities on the return, I was able to take them."

The 101-time tour-level titlist also has an opportunity to move closer to Jimmy Connors’ record of 109 tour-level trophies. If Federer emerges victorious against Goffin, it will be the 16th time he has claimed at least three tour-level crowns in a season.

Federer, now 67-7 in Halle, had to battle through two three-setters to make the last four. But playing Herbert for the first time, Federer broke serve three times and did not face a break point, winning 88 of his service points en route to a 62-minute triumph.

"I was able to find some good energy today, especially in the important moments, because the past couple days have been tough," Federer said. "It’s been a lot of tennis, so this is maybe exactly what I need going into the final."

Federer set the tone by breaking in his first return game of the match, and he never looked back from there. It is the first match this week in which the 37-year-old did not face break point.

Herbert, the No. 43 player in the ATP Rankings, typically plays the role of the aggressor, trying to move into net and use his strong volleying to take points into his own hands. But Federer used a dagger-like backhand slice at times to bring the Frenchman into the forecourt on the Swiss' terms, making it more comfortable for Federer and less so for Herbert.

The top seed takes a lopsided FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead of 7-1 into the final against Goffin, including a straight-sets victory here in Halle three years ago. In Federer’s seven victories against the Belgian, Goffin has won a total of one set. But the 28-year-old earned one of the biggest wins of his career by upsetting Federer in the semi-finals of the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals.

"He’s a great guy. I really like his game. He’s got one of the best backhand in the game. [He is] super fast on his feet and he’s got great footing on a court that’s really difficult," Federer said. "He played a great match against Berrettini today to stop his run and also against Zverev. I watched that match and that was mighty impressive. So I think I’m going to have a tough final, anyway at this stage, but particularly against David, who I have a lot of respect for."

Federer’s current record for most titles at a tournament is nine, having earned that many crowns at both Halle and Basel, his hometown event. The Swiss has advanced to 14 finals at that ATP 500 tournament.

Did You Know?
Herbert was Federer’s 337th unique singles opponent. Although they both have played more than 200 tour-level doubles matches, they have not competed against one another on the doubles court, either.

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Roger Federer into 15th Halle semi-final after defeating Bautista Agut

Five years ago, Roger Federer asked Pierre-Hugues Herbert to practise with him at the NOVENTI OPEN when the Frenchman was just starting out on the ATP Tour. On Saturday, the Swiss will see Herbert across the net as a semi-final opponent.

The top seed weathered an inspired effort from Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut to prevail on Friday 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The Swiss improves his FedEx ATP Head2Head against Bautista Agut to 9-0. Federer is through to his 15th Halle semi-final and is two matches away from his 10th title here, which would mark the first time he’s reached double digits in titles at an ATP Tour event.

”He’s a top player and he has beaten top guys before, played good at big events, gives the best players a hard time and beats them sometimes. You’ve got to expect him to come out there and play a tough match,” said Federer. “He’s able to stay in the rallies on the grass court and he has a very dangerous forehand. I’m not surprised about the tough match and enjoyed the battle.”

Saturday's semi-final will mark his first meeting against Herbert, who defeated defending champion and fourth seed Borna Coric after the Croatian retired due to injury. Coric conceded defeat after Herbert won the first set 7-5.

"It was a dream come true," said Herbert of his 2014 grass-court hitting session with Federer. "As a kid, I’d watch him and imitate his strokes. So practising with him, having fun and actually when you practise with him, he spoke and was interested in me. He asked a dozen questions about me."

Federer came out swinging in the early stages of the match, breaking Bautista Agut to love in the opening game with a forehand winner. Hitting his shots with pinpoint accuracy, Federer dropped just two points on serve and broke the Spaniard for a second time at 5-3 to grab the early advantage.

Bautista Agut refused to go away quietly. He increased his pace in the rallies and began to gamble successfully on passing shots and timely trips to the net. The strategy paid off and the extra pressure caused Federer to leak more unforced errors. Bautista Agut grabbed a break of serve to lead 2-1 in the second set and rode the slight advantage to force a decider.

A running forehand passing shot gave the Spaniard a break point in the opening game of the final set, but Federer saved it with a forehand winner of his own. Showing more emotion than is customary for the mild-mannered Swiss, he willed himself to a higher first-serve percentage and better form from the baseline in the closing stages.

But it was Bautista Agut who handed the match to Federer in the final minutes. Serving at 4-5, 15/0, the Spaniard hit four consecutive unforced errors to end play after one hour and 54 minutes.

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Roger Federer passes Tsonga test reaches 17th Halle quarter-final

Roger Federer held off some of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's best hitting to reach his 17th NOVENTI OPEN quarter-final on Thursday and keep alive his hopes for a record-extending 10th title in Halle.

Federer advanced past Tsonga 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5 in another high-octane contest between the two veterans who both hit their full strides at times inside Gerry Weber Stadion. Federer now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 12-6.

Tsonga had beaten Federer during their only prior grass-court meeting, coming back from two sets down in the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals. But the Swiss started well and looked to be en route to another straight-sets win in Germany after he converted his third set point in the opener and broke to start the second.

The top seed ran around a Tsonga second serve and belted an inside-in forehand winner down the line to gain the set and break lead. He was at his aggressive best all match, coming forward often and ending the point with swinging volleys. Federer won 16 of his 27 trips to the net (59%).

But Tsonga found his characteristic big groundstrokes in time to break in the sixth and 10th games of the second set, punishing forehands that Federer couldn't handle at net. The two were on serve until the 11th game of the deciding set, when Federer, as the fans screamed for the nine-time champion, raised his level to break once more. He ended their 18th contest with his seventh ace.

The Swiss will next meet Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist (2007, 2015) Richard Gasquet of France 6-1, 6-4. Federer is 8-0 against Bautista Agut, which includes a straight-sets win at 2015 Wimbledon, their only grass-court encounter. Bautista Agut has won only one of their 19 sets.

Did You Know?
Only 23 men in 20 years have beaten Federer on grass and only two have done so from two sets down at Wimbledon (2-78). Tsonga belongs to both of those clubs.

atptour.com

Another one of those 2 close for comfort matches, but definitely the type of test he will need heading into Wimbledon. Would have been more straight forward if he hadn't let that 3-1 lead slip in the 2nd set. 

Roger Federer gets Millman revenge in Halle opener faces Tsonga next

Nine-time champion Roger Federer played steadily enough to start his grass-court season on Tuesday at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle.

The 37-year-old Swiss avenged his 2018 US Open fourth-round loss to John Millman to make the second round in Germany, beating the Aussie 7-6(1), 6-3.

“I always think any way you get through is a good way because the next match will always feel different,” Federer said.

He didn't face a break point until he served for the match, and he saw only two on Millman's racquet, both in the sixth game of the second set, when Millman hit a forehand off his back foot long to give Federer the break. The top seed fell behind 0/30 in the next game but escaped danger by winning four straight points.

“I think with... John having beaten me at the US Open, I knew it was going be tough. So thankfully I wasn’t too nervous. I think I had a clear game plan. I knew that it was going to be more difficult for him to dominate the baseline... Conditions are faster here so I’m able to control the tempo of the match a little bit more,” Federer said.

The 101-time tour-level titlist is making his 17th Halle appearance and is trying to secure his first double-digit title haul at a single event. He has also won nine titles at the Swiss Indoors Basel, his hometown tournament. Rafael Nadal is the only man in the Open Era to reach double-digit titles at a single event, with 12 Roland Garros titles and 11 trophies in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.

Federer will next face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat countryman Benoit Paire 6-4, 7-5 to improve to 4-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Federer leads his rivalry with Tsonga 11-6, but the Frenchman has won their past two matchups – at 2016 Monte-Carlo and 2014 Canada. The two have played on grass only once, a five-set win for Tsonga in the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff picked up his first win at his home ATP 500 tournament (1-6), beating Serbian Laslo Djere 6-4, 6-4. Struff, playing at a career-high No. 35 in the ATP Rankings, improved to 22-14 this season and will next meet third-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov.

France's Richard Gasquet, a three-time grass-court titlist, won 81 per cent of his service points and beat German Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-4 in only 70 minutes. Gasquet will next play seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard didn't face a break point and beat American Taylor Fritz 7-6(10), 6-0


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Roger Federer faces tough draw in return to Halle

Roger Federer will have the chance to gain revenge in his opening match at next week's NOVENTI OPEN in Halle.

The nine-time champion's campaign for a 10th title at the ATP 500 event will begin against John Millman, the man who ended his 2018 US Open campaign with a gruelling four-set victory under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Federer will be looking to add to his 63-7 record at the grass-court tournament, following an impressive run to the Roland Garros semi-finals (l. to Nadal). The World No. 3 is aiming to lift his first title in Halle since 2017, after losing to Borna Coric in three sets in last year’s championship match.

If Federer overcomes Millman for the second time in three FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, his path to the trophy does not get any easier. The 37-year-old would meet former World No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or in-form Frenchman Benoit Paire in the second round.

Tsonga has defeated Federer in six of their previous 17 FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters, which includes a five-set comeback victory in their only previous clash on grass at Wimbledon in 2011. Paire also arrives in Halle in good form, after winning two ATP Tour titles on clay this year in Marrakech (d. Andujar) and Lyon (d. Auger-Aliassime).

Federer shares the top quarter of the draw with seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut and former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet. Bautista Agut has reached the quarter-finals or better in both of his previous two appearances in Halle, while Gasquet owns three ATP Tour trophies on grass, including last year's Libema Open title (d. Chardy).

There will be no repeat of last year's final after defending champion Coric landed in the same half as Federer. The World No. 14 dropped only one set en route to the title last year, which included victories against Federer and second seed Alexander Zverev. Coric opens against Jaume Munar of Spain and headlines the second quarter of the draw alongside fifth seed Gael Monfils.

Second seed Alexander Zverev will meet Robin Haase in his opening match. The two-time runner-up (2016, 2017) will be hoping to earn his first win on grass this year after falling in his opening match at the MercedesCup to Dustin Brown in three sets. Zverev is joined in the bottom quarter by eighth seed Guido Pella, David Goffin and 2011 champion Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The third quarter of the draw sees third seed Karen Khachanov and sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili open against players who have enjoyed success on grass. Khachanov will meet last year's Turkish Airlines Open Antalya winner Damir Dzumhur, while Basilashvili will face MercedesCup finalist Matteo Berrettini.

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Roger Federer will play Halle as his only warm up tournament before Wimbledon, no Stuttgart

ROGER FEDERER has axed the Stuttgart Open and will only use one grass tournament to prepare for Wimbledon this year.


Federer crashed out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals last year as he ran out of steam.

The Swiss star reached the final of both the Stuttgart and Halle Opens in 2018 and the two weeks of gruelling tennis took it’s toll.

At 37 years old, Federer is no spring chicken and cannot play at such a high level for weeks on end.

So he has decided to only participate in Halle this time out - meaning he will vacate his Stuttgart title.

“I am not signing for Stuttgart,” Federer said after crashing out of the Madrid Open to Dominic Thiem.

“I just thought it was a lot of grass-court tennis last year.

“I just felt like only Halle was better for me.

“That’s the plan.”

Earlier this week, Stuttgart Open tournament director Edwin Weindorfer believed he could tempt Federer to take a wild card.

But those hopes have now been dealt a bitter blow.

"It's very simple. Roger decided he wants to wait how the situation is in Paris,” Weindorfer told Tennis World USA prior to Federer’s decision.

“We have a wild card reserved for him, we also have a wild card for Rafa if he loses early in Roland Garros.

But we have decided for a different strategy.

"Our goal is to have Roger playing in 2020 and if he wants to play in 2019, we would make a deal between us.

“The relevant thing is not the appearance fee but if he decides to play a second grass-court tournament as he did in the previous years, competing in Stuttgart and Halle.”

express.co.uk

Roger Federer upbeat despite falling short of 10th Halle title

It's not often that Roger Federer plays his best match of the tournament in an ATP World Tour final yet walks away with the smaller of the two trophies. But, Federer said, that's what happened on Sunday at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.

The 36-year-old Swiss played great, but Croatia's Borna Coric, playing in his first grass-court final, competed a bit better to win the biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour 500-level event.

“I actually thought I played maybe my best match of the week today. It just didn’t go my way. So, it’s a bit unfortunate there. But I’m definitely going to leave with my head high, thinking it’s been a good run,” said Federer, who fell to 9-3 in Halle finals.



“Credit to him to play really, really quality tennis at the very end of that first set and then in the third as well, he never really dropped his level and that was it. It was an unfortunate match for me but credit to Borna to really come out and play a tough match today.”

The top seed and defending champion saw his 20-match grass-court win streak snapped and had his quest for a 10th Halle title denied. Federer will also fall to No. 2 in the ATP Rankings on Monday when Rafael Nadal again takes over the top spot.

But Federer is proud of his grass-court season so far, including his title run at last week's MercedesCup in Stuttgart. The Swiss has 98 tour-level titles – 18 on grass – and will next compete at Wimbledon, which begins 2 July. The eight-time champion owns a 91-11 record at SW19.

“I’m definitely looking forward to some recovery time now next week and just some easy preparation. [I'm] really going to love going to Wimbledon. Being the defending champion always creates pressure. So regardless of whether I won or lost here I will be one of the favourites there,” he said. “But all of that stuff doesn’t matter; I just really need to make sure I play great tennis from the get-go and hopefully I can do that there again.”

atpworldtour.com

Sad he didn't win, but Wimbledon is all that matters anyway.  And at least he won Stuttgart. 

Roger Federer reaches 12th Gerry Weber Open final in Halle

Roger Federer has won a record 18 grass-court titles, an all-time record according to the FedEx ATP Performance Zone. But the Swiss has never triumphed at two tour-level grass-court events ahead of Wimbledon in one season. After defeating Denis Kudla 7-6(1), 7-5 on Saturday to reach his 12th Gerry Weber Open final, he will have the opportunity to do so.

“I’m very happy,” said Federer. “I’ve never played back-to-back finals on grass like this in events before Wimbledon. So, this is a first for me. I’m very happy having won Stuttgart and, now, making another final here in Halle is great. I would have taken that any day a month ago.”

Federer, bidding to win his 99th tour-level title, won his 20th consecutive match on grass after 87 minutes, firing 12 aces and winning 84 per cent of first-serve points en route to victory. The nine-time champion has not lost on grass since his 2017 MercedesCup defeat to Germany's Tommy Haas. Federer's 20-match grass win streak is the second longest of his career. The 36-year-old won 65 consecutive encounters on the surface from 2003 to 2008.

Federer improves to 12-2 in Halle semi-final clashes after denying Kudla a place in his first ATP World Tour final. Kudla has reached two tour-level semi-finals from qualifying. The American qualifier also made it to the final four at the 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open (l. to Isner).

The Swiss improves to 63-6 at the event and will face Borna Coric in Sunday's final. Coric advanced to the championship match after playing just five games of his semi-final against Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard was forced to retire after an unfortunate slip, with Coric serving at 2-3.

The Croatian enters his first grass-court final at the tour-level in strong form, after securing his first Top 10 victory on the surface earlier this week against home favourite Alexander Zverev. Coric has won one of his previous three ATP World Tour finals, triumphing at the 2017 Grand Prix Hassan IIagainst Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Federer leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Coric 2-0, which includes their three-set BNP Paribas Open semi-final meeting in March. “I’m ready for a tough final against Coric and I just hope I can find my best game,” said Federer.

Federer got off to a quick start, becoming just the second man to break Kudla in five matches this week with great depth off his groundstrokes proving key. Kudla had saved 20 of 21 break points at the tournament, including his two victories in qualifying.

The American quickly responded, however, immediately breaking back after rushing the World No. 1 into a forehand error. Both men eventually found their rhythm on serve from that point, holding comfortably to reach a tie-break.

Federer, as has often been the case in Halle tie-breaks, raised his level. The 36-year-old raced out to a 6/0 lead before clinching a one-set advantage, two points later, with a well-placed serve down the 'T'. Federer has now won 16 of his past 17 tie-breaks in Halle.

“It was a pity I could not maintain the break advantage I created in the first game,” said Federer. “That was my big goal this morning: to come out of the blocks fast and good and protect the lead. I couldn’t do that. And then, honestly, I think we both went on a pretty good roll of not dropping serves anymore. It was just hard to break for a while and I played a good tie-break again, like yesterday. I think that was crucial.”

Kudla manufactured two break-point chances in the fourth game of the second set, but could not convert either. The 25-year-old misfired on his backhand side in an extended rally at 15/40 before Federer seized control with aggressive play to level proceedings.

Kudla created further chances in the seventh game, taking the opening three points against serve. But, once again, Federer held his nerve and rose to the occasion. The nine-time champion took control on his serve and forehand side to escape for 4-4.

Three games later, Federer's forehand made the crucial breakthrough. On his first break point of the set, the Swiss fired a backhand return onto the baseline before taking charge on his forehand, from the backhand corner, to extract a crucial error from Kudla. Five points later, Federer converted his first match point with an unreturned serve out wide.

"I’m going to enjoy it," said Coric. "I didn’t expect this at the beginning of the week. Today I was a little bit lucky. I’m sorry for Roberto. But I can rest a little bit now which is good. I don’t think my chances are really big but I’m going to go out there and I’m going to try to win. That’s for sure."

Did You Know?

Roger Federer has never lost before the quarter-finals in Halle, and has reached 14 consecutive semi-finals at the event.

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Roger Federer made to work again but reaches semis in Halle

World No. 1 Roger Federer extended his grass-court winning streak to 19 matches on Friday at the Gerry Weber Open, where he is bidding for a 10th trophy.

Twenty-four hours after saving two match points against Benoit Paire in the second round, Federer needed to recover from 3-5 down in the second set against Matthew Ebden for a 7-6(2), 7-5 victory over 88 minutes.

"I’m happy I played good when I had to [at the] end of the second, end of the first as well," Federer said. "I think that comes with playing a lot of matches now. It was tricky. I think Ebden played a good match and I’m happy I got through somehow."

Federer, the 2003-06, 2008, 2013-15 and 2017 Halle champion, with a 62-6 record at the ATP World Tour 500 tournament, moved up through the gears at 3-5 in the second set to win 16 of the next 20 points to win in straight sets. He will next prepare to face American qualifier Denis Kudla, who beat Yuichi Sugita of Japan earlier on day five.

Federer was made to bide his time in the first set, when Ebden, competing with confidence at a career-high No. 60 in the ATP Rankings, gave little away. Federer had one break point chance at 3-3, with Ebden serving at 30/40, but raised his game in the tie-break by winning the first three points.

Federer came close to taking a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Ebden maintained his composure to save three break points and later clinched Federer’s serve for 2-1 in their first-time meeting. While Federer immediately levelled the score at 2-2, Ebden kept fighting — just as he had done against 2011 titlist Kohlschreiber on Thursday — and broke his Swiss opponent’s serve for a second time at 3-3.

Ebden did little wrong when serving for the second set at 5-3, but Federer drew on his big-match experience when it mattered most - shortening his racquet take back on return to get the ball in court - to clinch four straight games and earn his 24th win in 26 matches this year.

"I think it’s normal once you get broken on grass that you are ready to go a third because that would be a logical consequence of being broken," Federer said. "But at the same time, you try to show a reaction, try to break back and I had to and was able to do that today."

Kudla advanced to only the second ATP World Tour semi-final of his career on Friday when he fought back from a 2-5 deficit in the second set — and saved one set point — to beat Sugita 6-2, 7-5 in 82 minutes. The qualifier, who reached the 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open semi-finals (l. to Isner), saved one set point when serving at 3-5, Ad-Out, in the second set for only his fifth tour-level match win of 2018.

Federer beat Kudla in their only FedEx ATP Head2Head clash at the 2012 BNP Paribas Open in straight sets. Kudla had won just two tour-level matches this year. but this week he has earned three victories for his second ATP World Tour semi-final.

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Roger Federer comes back from the brink of defeat to reach quarters in Halle

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Roger Federer saved two match points in taking another step closer to his 10th Gerry Weber Open title on Thursday, when he worked overtime to extend his grass-court winning streak to 18 matches.


The Swiss superstar, who must retain the Halle title in order to remain at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, had to play at his very best to knock out Benoit Paire of France 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) in one hour and 59 minutes for a place in the quarter-finals.


Federer held his nerve to avoid another third set tie-break loss this year. In March, he lost to Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2) in the BNP Paribas Open final and at the next ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, he fell to Thanasi Kokkinakis 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in the Miami Open presented by Itau second round.


Federer led 3/1 in the deciding-set tie-break, before Paire fought back for a 5/3 advantage and held match point chances at 6/5 and 7/6. Federer saved the first match point by hitting a tricky topspin forehand from his shoelaces, inside the service box, to land on the baseline. The Swiss struck an aggressive backhand service return deep down the middle of the court on Paire's second match point, which the Frenchman ultimately lost with an unforced forehand error.


“It was a tough match,” said Federer. “I played at a good level actually. I think he served well and had a good mix and a good variety. It was hard to break. So, naturally, it was always going to be tight. And at the end it was just extremely close. So, I’m fortunate to have made it today.”


He will next play Australia’s Matthew Ebden, who beat 2011 champion Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany earlier in the day.


Paire began strongly, giving little pace to Federer and hit a high proportion of his first serves into court. The Frenchman earned the first break point opportunity of the match when Federer was caught off guard by a lob at 3-3. The World No. 48 showed signs of frustration one game later, when he committed successive groundstroke errors to gift Federer a 5-3 advantage.


Regaining his composure after the 27-minute opener, Paire saved two break points in the opening game of the second set and the used his backhand to move Federer around the court and take a 4-0 lead in 19 minutes. Paire came within two points of leading 5-0, but later at 30/40 Federer struck a backhand crosscourt winner to get one service break back. Paire held his nerve to win his first set in six FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Federer and finished with an ace.


While Federer served first in the decider, he continued to shake his head as Paire didn’t give him any rhythm. Paire was left frustrated on Federer's serve at 3-3, when the wrong shot choice cost him at 30/30 and he later saved two match points from 15/40 at 5-5, with big first serves.


Federer has a 61-6 match record in Halle, including trophies in 2003-06, 2008, 2013-15 and 2017. With three pieces of silverware to his name in 2018—Australian Open (d. Cilic), ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament (d. Dimitrov) and last week’s MercedesCup (d. Raonic) — the 36-year-old Swiss is 23-2 on the year.


Matthew Ebden, competing at a career-high No. 60 in the ATP Rankings, continued his impressive run of form on grass courts by beating local hope Philipp Kohlschreiber.


Ebden, fresh off his second ATP World Tour semi-final at the Libema Open (l. to Chardy), ran out a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 winner over 2011 champion Kohlschreiber, who has a 31-12 record in Halle.


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While this Houdini act was fun and all, a little less drama in the next one Roger.  Thank you.  I was having flashbacks to Miami and Indian Wells.

Roger Federer breezes through Halle opener

Roger Federer raced through his opening match at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle on Tuesday, taking only 71 minutes to beat Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4. The top seed and No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings stretched his grass-court win streak to 17, dating back to last year's titles in Halle and Wimbledon and including his 98th title run last week at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart.

Federer fought through an eight-minute game to break Bedene and immediately grab control for a 2-0 lead. He served flawlessly, winning 84 per cent (41/49) of his service points for the match, including a hold to love for the opening set.

The Swiss right-hander then broke in the ninth game of the second set before another routine service hold clinched his place in the second round.

The 36-year-old is going for his 10th Halle title (2003-06, 2008, 2013-15, 2017). Half of Federer's 18 grass-court crowns have come in the German city. He needs to repeat as Halle champion to stay No. 1, or else Rafael Nadal will reclaim the top spot in the ATP Rankings.

Federer will next try to improve to 6-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Frenchman Benoit Paire, who beat Steve Johnson of the U.S. 7-5, 7-6(5).

In other action, sixth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber advanced when Hungary's Marton Fucsovics retired down 6-4, 3-6, 1-2. Kohlschreiber will next meet Aussie Matthew Ebden, a finalist last year at the grass-court Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in Newport. Ebden beat Tunisia's Malek Jaziri 6-0, 7-6(2) in Halle.

Did You Know?

Roger Federer improved to 60-6 in Halle on Tuesday.

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Roger Federer 9-time Halle Champion!

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Roger Federer started perfectly and never looked back in the Gerry Weber Open final in Halle on Sunday, sprinting to a 6-1, 6-3 victory against #NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev under the roof in Gerry Weber Stadion.

The dominating title victory gives Federer his ninth Halle crown, joining him with Rafael Nadal as the only two men in the Open Era who have won a tournament more than eight times. Nadal has won 10 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and Roland Garros titles.

Federer improves to 4-0 in title matches this season, having won the Australian Open, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open presented by Itau. He and Nadal are now tied for the lead this season.

“It's great to get off to a good start in the finals and then remind yourself that you've been playing good tennis all week. You start swinging freely, things start clicking, you realise your opponent is under pressure and you keep pressuring him,” Federer said. “I'm like on 'Cloud Nine' right now after the ninth win here in Halle. It's a wonderful feeling to win here again because I'm not sure if I'll ever get a chance to win this again so it's important to enjoy this one.”

The 35-year-old Swiss also shoves aside any worries fans or pundits might have had about his long layoff affecting his grass-court season. The veteran right-hander took off 10 weeks after winning the Miami title on 2 April, opting to skip the clay-court season to rest his body and hopefully stave off any future possible injuries on clay.

After losing in his return on 14 June to friend Tommy Haas in Stuttgart, Federer checked off five consecutive victories, including wins against Zverev and rising #NextGenATP star Karen Khachanov, and heads to Wimbledon full of winning feelings. The Stuttgart defeat was the first time Federer had lost his opening match at a grass-court tournament since 2002 Wimbledon (l. to Ancic).

“I was doubting myself a little bit, I must admit, because losing [in the opening] round for the first time in 15 years on grass was always going to shake me a little bit and it did. So I'm happy to react right away and let that be forgotten and actually move on and remind myself I actually can play well on grass,” Federer said. “It's a boost for me personally, with my confidence, knowing that my body is in good shape. Mentally, I'm fresh again and I've gotten used to match play.”

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Roger Federer into his 11th Gerry Webber Open final in Halle

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There's no place quite like Halle for Roger Federer. The Swiss star will play in an 11th Gerry Weber Open final on Sunday after having to battle past #NextGenATP Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6(5) in the semi-finals on Saturday.

“I thought it was extremely close, especially that second set... I'm still just very happy how I was able to close it out in the 'breaker,” Federer said.

Federer will go for his ninth title in the German city, which would mark the first time he has won a tournament as many times. The 35-year-old Swiss first reached the Halle final in 2003, beating German Nicolas Kiefer for the crown.

But Federer hasn't played for the trophy at the ATP World Tour 500 tournament since 2015. On Sunday, he will meet #NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev, who beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Federer lost to Zverev in last year's Halle semi-finals but beat the German last year in Rome. “He's got home-court advantage. He's got a wonderful serve and one of the best backhands in the game... He takes big cuts at the ball, returns very well. He's a tough player to play against,” Federer said.

The World No. 5 has yet to drop a set in Halle this week. He improved his all-time record at the tournament to 58-6 and is 23-2 on the season. Federer has reached the final in four of his six tournaments this year.

Roger Federer Wins By Tournament


87

Australian Open


84

Wimbledon


78

US Open


65

Roland Garros


61

Basel


58

Halle


57

Indian Wells


52

Nitto ATP Finals


50

Miami


42

Cincinnati




Federer had never faced the 21-year-old Khachanov before Saturday, but the big-hitting right-hander, who was trying to reach his second ATP World Tour final (2016 Chengdu), was unintimidated against the all-time great.

The two exchanged breaks to start the match but Federer broke once more and rode the early advantage to a one-set lead. Neither player could break in the early goings of the second set as Khachanov was freely blasting forehands and Federer was stepping into his backhand and flattening out the one-hander.

At 4-4, Federer broke Khachanov for a chance to serve for the match, but Khachanov broke right back when a Federer forehand pass sailed wide. The 6'6” Khachanov even had two set points on Federer's serve at 5-6 but was unable to convert either.

In the tie-break, Federer clinched his 11th final appearance when Khachanov lifted a backhand long on match point.

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Roger Federer through to his 13th consecutive semi at Gerry Weber Open in Halle

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Roger Federer had already scored three wins in Halle over Florian Mayer (2005, 2012, 2015) prior to their quarter-final on Friday. And in another Gerry Weber Open battle between the eight-time champion Federer and defending champion Mayer, it was the top seed who came out on top once again with a 6-3, 6-4 win.

“It was important to be aggressive off the baseline and make him feel my variation and the power I can bring to the court,” Federer said. “And then having good footwork, to see the short ball, the floater, where I can come in and knock it off with a volley. I think I did it very well. I had lots of chances to even go up a double break in the second set.

“I thought I was very calm out there, even in difficult moments. I was calm serving out the first and second sets. Those are always signs for me that things are slowly starting to fall into place nicely.”

Federer has yet to drop a set after three matches this week. He boosts his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Mayer to 8-0, with five of those wins coming on grass. The top seed is through to the semi-finals in Halle for the 13th consecutive time, with his two quarter-final losses at this event coming in 2000-2001. The Swiss star also improves his Halle record to 57-6.

Next up for Federer is Karen Khachanov, who won an all-#NextGenATP battle earlier in the day over Andrey Rublev. Should he advance past Khachanov, a potential Halle rematch against fourth seed Alexander Zverev looms. Zverev defeated Federer last year in a three-set semi-final. However, the German will first need to get through seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals and Richard Gasquet in the semi-finals.

“It will be interesting. He plays a bit different on the serve and the forehand, which is different to the regular forehand technique we see. He’s big and strong and seems super excited to be on tour and he’s working hard. I don’t know him that well yet so it’s a match where I’ll most likely focus on my own game. Make sure I serve well, because he can go through spells where he can serve big. It could be somewhat similar to how I played today.”

Federer scored the lone break of the opening set at 2-1. Muller fought off three set points on his serve at 2-5, but the top seed comfortably held to love in the next game with an ace.

The second set was nearly identical to the first, with a backhand wide from the German allowing the top seed to take a 3-2 lead. Mayer bravely fought off two match points on his serve at 3-5, but another forehand winner from Federer on his first match point wrapped up the contest in 66 minutes.

Federer finished the day with 11 aces, hitting 32 winners to 22 unforced errors. Mayer also produced a high level of tennis throughout the match, recording 18 winners to 15 unforced errors.

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