Wobbled at the beginning, but were wide awake at the critical moments: Roger Federer wants to reach the semi-finals at Weissenhof after his trembling victory.
It was “typical sport” somehow. He didn’t take any chances – and got the receipt directly, which would have cost him even more. Roger Federer started strongly against Mischa Zverev, was unlucky four times at breakpoint, and after two inattentive minutes he got the break himself. Suddenly the big favourite was trailing with one set and was allowed to fend off a break point at the beginning of round two. “I had to be careful not to get into any bigger problems. But I fought my way out, so I’m very happy,” Federer said afterwards.
From the middle of the second round on, “I got better and better into the game, I managed two breaks in the second and third sets. This is a good result for a first game against a good grass player. That’s something to build on.”
The opponent for possible further development is Guido Pella from Argentina, he won against the Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran and won his second match-up against the Maestro. Almost exactly two years ago, in round one at Wimbledon, the two had already met; Federer, who then took a long break for the knee, tortured himself into a three-set victory, twice going into the tiebreak.
Federer now wants to go for it in Stuttgart. He wanted to use Thursday for training “to find my rhythm,” he said. “It’s not a comeback, I just have to find my way back in.”
Of course he is the favourite: LeoVegas Sport, one of the leading sports betting providers, lists Federer with a score of 1.08, Pella stands at 8.5.
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