Edgy Federer victorious in Halle

Swiss legend defeats Portugal’s Sousa in second-round tie.

HALLE WESTFALEN: Roger Federer got his Wimbledon preparations fully underway on the grasscourts of Halle on Thursday, but he looked out of sorts before finally edging Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 6-2 in a second-round tie.

Playing for the first time since losing to Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 of the French Open, the six-time former winner of the German tournament started brightly but was soon on the back foot against the improving Sousa.

There were no breaks of serve in the first set and it was Sousa who dominated the tie-break, clinching it on his fourth set point.

Federer looked frustrated at times, but the match turned on the seventh game of the second set when Sousa’s level suddenly dipped allowing the Swiss great to pounce and secure his first break.

From then on it was all Federer with a break of serve in the first game of the deciding set sending him safely on his way into the last eight.

“I struggled a bit on return during a set and half,” said Federer. “Afterwards, it was better, more variation on the second serve.

“When I came here [Saturday] to start practice it was average, but now it’s better. For me, it doesn’t take a lot of time to get used to the grass.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2014.

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