Share

Federer battles into 15th Halle semi-final

Halle Westfalen - Roger Federer's resolve was tested again on Friday as he battled to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the last four of the ATP event in Halle for the 15th time.

World No 3 Federer is chasing a record-extending tenth title on the Halle grass as he warms up for Wimbledon next month, but has had to scrap to stay in the tournament this week.

He prevailed in a gruelling three-set encounter with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Thursday, and was taken the distance again by Bautista Agut in Friday's quarter-final.

The Swiss next faces Andy Murray's Wimbledon doubles partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert in Saturday's semi-finals.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion has now reached the last four in each of his last 15 appearances at Halle since losing to Pat Rafter in the 2001 quarters.

The 37-year-old will be aiming for his ninth Wimbledon triumph in July, having seen Rafael Nadal cut his lead in the all-time Grand Slam title winners' list to two with victory at the French Open earlier this month, when the Spaniard beat Federer in the semi-finals.

Herbert won the first set of his quarter-final 7-5 against reigning champion Borna Coric, before the Croatian retired with a back problem.

The 28-year-old Frenchman said that he felt an "unbelievable energy" going into his first-ever meeting with Federer.

"It will be unbelievable for me to face Roger. I have played against Nadal, against Djokovic, against Murray, but never against him," said Herbert.

Earlier on Friday, world No 5 Alexander Zverev suffered a surprise 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (3/7) quarter-final defeat by Belgium's David Goffin.

Home favourite Zverev was playing with a swollen knee after slipping and hurting himself in the first round, and the Halle crowd watched on in dismay as he struggled to find his rhythm against world No 33 Goffin.

"You can look at things negatively or positively. I played three good matches here, and it's not as if he blew me away today," said Zverev.

The defeat compounds a disappointing grass season so far for the German, who suffered another early exit on home soil in Stuttgart last week at the hands of compatriot Dustin Brown.

The 22-year-old is hoping to rediscover his form and fitness in time for the beginning of Wimbledon on July 1.

"I am not at 100 percent, but I think I'll be ok," he said.

Goffin will face Italian talent Matteo Berrettini in the semi-finals.

Berrettini continued his excellent 2019 form with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Russian third seed Karen Khachanov.

Berrettini, 23, won his third ATP title of the season in Stuttgart last week, and has soared up to 22 in the world rankings this year.

Results from the ATP tournament in Halle on Friday (x denotes seeding):

Quarter-finals

Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x7) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Borna Coric (CRO x4) 7-5 - retired

Matteo Berrettini (ITA) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x3) 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)

David Goffin (BEL) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x2) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE