By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, March 10, 2019
Roger Federer was both imposing and inconsistent sweeping Peter Gojowczyk, 6-1, 7-5, to charge into the Indian Wells third round.
Photo credit: @BNP Paribas Open
Returning to the purple Palm Springs court, Roger Federer experienced extremes today.
Clad in Wimbledon white, Federer was imposing in the opening set and inconsistent in the second.
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The five-time champion rallied from a break down in the second set charging into the Indian Wells third round with a 6-1, 7-5 conquest of Peter Gojowczyk before an appreciative crowd that included former world No. 1 Pete Sampras, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and all four of Federer's children.
It was Federer's first match since he swept Stefanos Tsitsipas to capture his 100th career championship in Dubai last month.
"I think I played well in the first set and he didn't, and then things go very quickly," Federer told the media in Indian Wells. "The second set I think he saved some crucial break points, you know, with good serving. I think his serve really picked up. I think I struggled a little bit with my serving in that second set and that gave him chances.
"I think because he was serving better, I think he started to swing more freely, and, you know, then it was tough."
Federer produced periods of both flawless and frustrating tennis in improving his BNP Paribas Open record to 63-12.
A finalist in his last four trips to the desert, Federer fired out to a 5-0 lead today only to lose the rhythm and range on the serve in the second set as he fell into a 1-3 hole before rallying.
The 37-year-old Swiss served 55 percent and committed six double faults, but produced under pressure denying six of seven break points.
The 20-time Grand Slam king improved to 9-1 on the season setting up a potential match with Swiss gold-medal doubles partner Stan Wawrinka, if the three-time Grand Slamp beats Marton Fucsovics today.
The German's flat forehand can be a more unstable stroke than his two-hander. Federer knows it and dug dents with the short chip backhand. Drawing Gojowczyk forward with the angled slice, Federer drew a floated backhand stamping his second straight break.
Dancing around his backhand, Federer flashed a forehand strike down the line capping a love hold for 5-0 a mere 17 minutes into the match.
Serving just 37 percent, Gojowczyk persistently put himself under pressure feeding Federer's all-court attack with a steady stream of second serves. The 85th-ranked German held to break the bagel in the sixth game.
Federer flew through the 24-minute opener winning 16 of 18 points played on his serve.
Grinding through a tricky hold to start the second set, Gojowczyk earned double break point in the second game. Federer fended off both—the first break points he faced all day—before whipping an inside-out forehand winner to level.
Two games later, Gojowczyk forced Federer into turbulence again smacking successive sharp forehands down the line to break for 3-1 after 46 minutes. Creating sharp angles that dragged the flat-hitting German into awkward positions, Federer broke right back.
Struggling to find the service box throughout the second set, Federer escaped triple break point with a flurry of first serves then punished a point-ending forehand to deny a fourth break point. Kicking a wide serve, Federer swatted a swing volley salvaging a demanding hold for 4-all.
Running down a tame drop shot from the Swiss, Gojowczyk angled a fine running reply and was two points from the set at 30-all in the 10th game. Federer quieted the threat snapping off his second ace to close the 10th game.
Deploying variety from atop the baseline, Federer used the slice backhand effectively forcing the flat-hitting Gojowczyk to dig out out low balls for double break point in the 11th game. Gojowczyk put his sixth double fault into net as Federer snatched the crucial break at the 75-minute mark.
The Swiss downshifted through the finish line, stretching his winning streak to six matches.
"I'm really happy I found a way in that second set, actually," Federer said. "It's normal to not quite find your zones sometimes on the serve, or whatever it may be, because the ball flies differently here in Indian Wells than it did in Dubai again.
"Again, the conditions today are different than they were the last few days. The ball doesn't always exactly drop where you want it to be. For the first round I actually felt really good. If I maybe would have served a little bit better, I think things would have gone faster. But at the end it was a tough second set, and it's maybe also exactly what I needed. I don't know."
A forehand drive volley gave Federer double match point and when Gojowczyk sailed one final forehand, Federer was through in one hour, 17 minutes.
The 2018 finalist could face Olympic gold medal doubles partner Stan Wawrinka if the sturdy Swiss beats Maron Fucsovics.