Roger Federer has reached the quarter-finals at the ATP grass court tournament in Stuttgart. After a three-month break in the competition, the Swiss Mischa Zverev defeated 3:6, 6:4, 6:2 after losing the first set.
Federer will face Prajnesh Gunneswaran from India or Guido Pella from Argentina in the quarter-finals. For Alexander Zverev’s older brother, it was his sixth defeat in the sixth duel with Federer.
“Three months is a long time,” Federer said after the game. “I had to be patient and careful not to get into even bigger problems. But I fought my way out of it, so I’m very happy.”
Federer is aiming for his first tournament victory at his third start in the state capital of Baden-Württemberg. With his participation in the final he would displace French Open winner Rafael Nadal from the top of the world rankings again.
Last year, the Swiss player was defeated in the round of 16 by his friend Tommy Haas, but since then he has won all of his 13 matches on grass. In 2016 Federer failed in the semi-final due to the Austrian Dominic Thiem.
Most recently, Federer, who voluntarily renounced the entire clay court season as he did last year, stood on the pitch 81 days ago in the surprising opening defeat at the Masters in Miami against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Like Zverev, Oldie Florian Mayer missed out on the last eight. 34-year-old Denis Istomin from Uzbekistan lost 3-6, 4-6 to Kohlschreiber-conqueror Bayreuth, leaving Mayer’s opening win against local hero Yannick Maden as his only main field victory of the year.
The 22-year-old Maximilian Marterer from Nuremberg won his first round match against Lucky Loser Viktor Galovic from Croatia 3:6, 6:4, 6:1 and will meet Nick Kyrgios from Australia in the round of the last 16 players.
On Tuesday, the match fell victim to hours of rain and on Wednesday, due to the still wet lawn on the Centre Court, it could only begin with a considerable delay. At the French Open, the world ranking-50th Torterer failed only in the round of 16 due to the later winner Rafael Nadal.
After his first victory on the ATP Tour at the start of the tournament on Monday evening, 17-year-old talent Rudolf Molleker will face defending champion Lucas Pouille from France in second place.