Federer reaches Hamburg semis

Swiss top seed to face Argentinean qualifier Delbonis next.

HAMBURG:

Roger Federer needed just under two hours to see off Germany’s Florian Mayer in three-sets to reach the semi-finals of the Hamburg claycourt tournament.

The Swiss top seed, playing his first tournament since his shock second-round exit at Wimbledon, dug deep to claim the third set for a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 7-5 quarter-final victory.

Mayer, 45th in the world compared to Federer’s fifth ranking, fired down six aces, three times more than the Swiss star, but Federer was strong where it counted, saving three of the five break points he faced in the third set.

“It was extremely difficult,” said Federer. “I started really well. I thought we were both hitting the ball well in the first set and not giving each other that many chances. It went down to the wire.

“I’m happy I played a good tie-break. I should have been up early with a break in the second set; he got me there. It was a bit of a rollercoaster till the very end of the match. But, I just had to tough it out.

“The conditions were cold and heavy, the clay was heavy. So, it was different than we had expected at the beginning of the day when we thought we would play. I have to say that I really enjoyed the match.”

Federer has a 32-4 event record in Hamburg, where he won the title in 2002, 2004-05 and 2007, then finished runner-up in 2008 to Rafael Nadal.

The Swiss star will now face Argentinean qualifier Federico Delbonis in the semi-finals.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2013.

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