By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, June 22, 2017
Roger Federer reached his 15th Halle quarterfinal with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Mischa Zverev.
Photo credit: Gerry Weber Open Facebook
Old-school attacking tennis came charging right back at Roger Federer today.
Federer fended it off accelerating through passing lanes.
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The top-seeded Swiss hit timely passes repelling serve-and-volleyer Mischa Zverev, 7-6 (4), 6-4, advancing to his 15th Halle quarterfinal and ensuring a top four seeding for Wimbledon.
The eight-time champion slid a running forehand pass down the line scoring the lone break for a 5-4 second-set lead.
Federer raised his Halle record to 56-6 beating Zverev for the fourth time in as many meetings.
The 35-year-old Federer force-fed Zverev double-bagel misery the last time they met in Halle four years ago.
Clearly, this is not the same Zverev.
Empowered by his run to the Stuttgart semifinals and a career-high rank of No. 29, Zverev did not back off.
The man who shocked world No. 1 Andy Murray en route to the Australian Open quarterfinals where he fell to eventual-champion Federer, attacked relentlessly, carved out some fine angled volleys and forced the Swiss to come up with the goods in a tight test.
Continuing his quest for a ninth Halle championship, Federer will face another German opponent, defending champion Florian Mayer, for a spot in the final four.
Quirky stylist Mayer broke serve three times defeating Stuttgart champion and sixth-seeded Lucas Pouille, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3, to reach his seventh Halle final.
The 134th-ranked Mayer, who defeated Alexander Zverev in the 2016 Halle final, is winless in seven prior matches with Federer, including three straight-sets losses in Halle.
Throughout today’s match, Federer was a bit more vocal than usual punctuating strikes with “come on!” and ruing a couple mistakes with exclamations of “whoah!”
Two sounds that amplify an in-form Federer are his feet dancing across the lawn and the eruption of his forehand drive detonating off his strings.
With younger brother Alexander watching from the crowd, Mischa Zverev did a fine job digging dipping passes of his shoelaces during the tight opening-set.
Federer cruised through a third straight hold at 15 for 3-2. Zverev responded with a love hold to level after six games.
Tested to deuce for the first time in the match, Federer exploited Zverev’s deep return positioning with successful serve-and-volley attacks snapping off an ace to end the seventh game. Earlier in the game, chair umpire Damian Steiner hit Federer with a hindrance call for prematurely celebrating a forehand down the line with a firm “come on!”
Racing forward, Federer thrust a high forehand volley down the line closing a love hold for 5-4.
The 29-year-old German lost the plot in the 10th game. Federer flashed a backhand return winner down the line and Zverev followed with a double fault for set point. Fully committed on a second serve, Zverev pumped a serve down the middle to save it.
Federer whipped a forehand pass for a second set point, but Zverev stuck a backhand volley crosscourt to deny it. Digging out some demanding low volleys, Zverev hung tough banging a body serve into the left hip to fend off a third set point. Fighting through a near 11-minute hold Zverev drew even at 5-all.
Rifling a running forehand for the mini break, Federer took a 3-1 lead in the tie break, but slapped a smash into the top of the tape. That sparked a run of three straight points for Zverev.
Thumping a smash, Federer followed bolting a backhand return down the line for a fourth set point.
This time, there was no mistake as the Swiss roped a backhand pass crosscourt to take the opening set in which he won 19 of 23 first-serve points.
A brief break occurred before Federer served the sixth game as medical staff attended to a female fan, who was apparently suffering a heat-related illness.
When play resumed, Federer navigated the longest point of the match eliciting an error for 3-all.
The left-hander, who had surprised Federer a few times serving down the middle on the ad side, curled an ace wide sealing a seventh-game hold.
Improvisational skills helped the Swiss score the lone break of the match.
Racing along the baseline, Federer short-hopped a running forehand that handcuffed his opponent at net for break point. Rushing forward, Zverev felt the wrath of the Federer forehand as the Australian Open champion cracked a running forehand pass down the line breaking for 5-4.
Rarely do you see Federer leave his feet in a lateral plunge, but he went airborne for diving backhand volley while serving for the match. Federer didn’t quite pull off the launch as successfully as Dominic Thiem and Grigor Dimitrov did yesterday, but rose to close decisively.
Slashing an ace for double match point, Federer shanked a forehand off a funky bounce on his first match point. On his second match point, the Swiss stuck a forehand volley wrapping up a 90-minute win.