By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, June 17, 2016
Roger Federer fought off five set points converting his fifth match point to subdue David Goffin, 6-1, 7-6 (10) to reach his 12th Halle semifinal.
Photo credit: Gerry Weber Open
When David Goffin was a talented junior, Roger Federer was constantly looking over his shoulder.
The Belgian grew up a Federer fan with a poster of the Grand Slam king on his bedroom wall.
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The fifth seed was on the verge of closing the gap on his tennis hero today when Federer confined Goffin to the corner before showing him the door on the court he regards as his home.
Federer breezed through the first set and battled through the second set.
The top-seeded Swiss fought off five set points before finally finishing a 15-minute tie break on his fifth match point subduing Goffin, 6-1, 7-6 (10), to advance to his 12th career Halle semifinal.
It was Federer's 15th consecutive Halle victory.
The eight-time champion will play the youngest man still standing in the field, Alexander Zverev, for a place in Sunday's final.
The 19-year-old German powered past former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis, 7-6 (9), 6-3 in 91 minutes. Zverev zapped 11 aces advancing to his fourth semifinal of the season.
Dominic Thiem opened the week beating sometime doubles partner Philipp Kohlschreiber to claim his fourth title of the season on the grass of Stuttgart. Thiem reached his ninth semifinal of the season without striking a shot today as scheduled quarterfinal opponent Kohlschreiber, banged up playing 10 consecutive days, withdrew due to a hip injury.
The seventh-ranked Austrian, who has won four titles on three different surfaces this season, will play Germany's Florian Mayer for a spot in the final. Mayer did not face a break point in a 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Andreas Seppi in the day's final quarterfinal.
Dissatisfied with his return game in his second-round win over Malek Jaziri yesterday, Federer made an early return statement today.
Federer won the coin toss, elected to receive and proceeded to break the Belgian four times in a row.
The Federer backhand down the line left Goffin reeling in the early stages. Federer bolted a one-hander down the line for triple break point then followed a forehand forward to break in the opener.
Anticipating Goffin would hit behind him, Federer held his ground an whipped a backhand pass down the line for another break point. Fighting an unruly forehand in the first set, Goffin scattered a forehand beyond the baseline as Federer broke again for 3-0.
Donating the break back at love with a sloppy service game, Federer was back on his front foot again drilling a forehand for his third straight break and a 4-1 lead.
Hitting his topspin backhand with authority, hugging the baseline and hammering his forehand to all targets, Federer scored his fourth break in a row at love sealing an imposing set in just 20 minutes.
Through four service games, a shell-shocked Goffin managed just six points on serve.
At that point, it looked like the match might not last an hour, but Goffin dug and made adjustments.
Targeting the Goffin forehand, Federer often played fast and deep to that wing to draw a mid-court reply. Goffin earned the first break of the second set, but Federer responded ripping an inside-out forehand to break back for 3-all.
Pushed behind the baseline throughout much of the opening set, Goffin moved closer to the line and accelerated through his forehand with more conviction in the second set. He fought off a pair of break points in the eighth game then broke again in the ninth.
Staying low to slash a forehand pass down the line, Goffin broke at 15 for 5-4.
Serving to level the match, a jittery Goffin double faulted on a second set point, clanked another double fault to face break point then narrowly missed a backhand down the line gifting back the break.
The world No. 11 saved a match point with a smash, eventually forcing the tie break.
Plot twists, nerves, missed opportunities and some superb shot-making marked the 15-minute tie break.
A sensational running backhand from well behind the baseline put Goffin in front 5-2. He held two more set points at 6-4 and 6-5. But Federer planted a forehand right off the baseline on the first, eliciting a bad bounce and prompting Goffin to flip his racquet in frustration, and Goffin netted a slice on the second.
Federer fought off a fourth set point with a forehand crosscourt and saved a fifth with a biting serve. Goffin denied a third match point with a rousing forehand pass and saved a fourth match point on an error.
Attacking net, Federer slashed a short forehand for a fifth match point. When Goffin's forehand missed the mark, the eight-time champion was through to the semifinals raising his arms in relief and joy after an 81-minute match.