By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Roger Federer launched his quest for a 10th Halle title defeating John Millman, 7-6 (1), 6-3, avenging his US Open loss and setting up a second-round clash vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Photo credit: @ATPHalle
Fans flock to a Halle street—Roger Federer Allee—honoring the 20-time Grand Slam king.
Stamping his all-court game on grass, Roger Federer reclaimed the Halle lawn today.
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The top-seeded Swiss stopped John Millman, 7-6 (1), 6-3, in his first grass-court match of the season avenging a US Open round of 16 loss to the Aussie last September.
Launching his quest for a 10th Halle title, Federer did not drop serve and didn't face a break point until the final game of a 77-minute victory.
Though his transition to grass wasn't always immaculate in the opening set, Federer raised his Halle first-round record to a pristine 17-0.
Playing Roland Garros for the first time in four years, Federer charged to the French Open semifinals bowing to arch rival Rafael Nadal earlier this month.
The 37-year-old competed on clay, in part, to sharpen his game and accrue match play ahead of his favorite surface.
Growing stronger as today's match progressed, Federer raised his Halle record to 64-7 with some precision shot-making at crunch time.
The Miami champion won 38 of 42 first-serve points and controlled the net winning 14 of his first 16 trips to the frontcourt in his Halle return.
The top-seeded Swiss set up a second-round showdown with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who owns a Wimbledon win over Federer.
In an all-French clash, Tsonga thumped 16 aces and won 31 of 36 first-serve points and did not drop serve defeating Benoit Paire, 6-4, 7-5, in 78 minutes.
When the ultra-fit Millman upset Federer on a steamy, sweaty, swampy night in New York last September, he effectively extended rallies and drew some timely misses from the Swiss.
Today, Federer played with more depth and clarity, but could not gain separation at the outset.
The lanky Aussie pushed to 30-all on the Swiss' serve in the 10th game. Federer answered with a stretch forehand volley and ace to level.
A calm Millman smacked a backhand off the baseline skipping over his opponent's racquet as Millman held for 6-5.
The 57th-ranked Aussie held to start the tie break, then Federer flipped a switch slashing his seventh and eight aces and exploiting a double fault extending his lead to 5-1 in the breaker.
Millman scattered a backhand dropping his seventh straight point as Federer earned a one-set lead after 43 minutes.
Pinpoint serving set the tone. Federer won 22 of 22 first-serve points and torched eight aces building a one-set lead.
Still, neither man could crack serve for the first set and a half. Federer made his move in the sixth game of the second set.
Varying the depth on a series of slice backhands, the nine-time champion rattled out a Millman mis-hit gaining the first break of the day and a 4-2 lead.
To his credit, a fist-pumping Millman continued to battle drawing to 15-30 when Federer served for the match. Racing up quickly to a short-angled forehand, Millman controlled a tricky forehand down the line to earn break point.
Whipping successive wide serves, Federer saved break point and earned match point.
One final twisting serve sent Federer into a second-round clash vs. Tsonga. The third-ranked Federer has won 11 of 17 meetings with the explosive Frenchman, but Tsonga has claimed their last two meetings.