Federer off to winning start in Halle

Roger Federer began his bid for a record-extending 10th Halle Open title with a 7-6 (1), 6-3 win over Australia's John Millman on Tuesday, with defending champion Borna Coric also advancing.

Federer, who lost to Coric in last year's final, hit nine aces and saved the only break point he faced to beat Millman in 1 hour, 17 minutes.

“I always think any way you get through is a good way because the next match will always feel different. I think with John having beaten me at the US Open, I knew it was going be tough. So thankfully I wasn’t too nervous. I think I had a clear game plan. I knew that it was going to be more difficult for him to dominate the baseline. Conditions are faster here so I’m able to control the tempo of the match a little bit more.

“It is always important to win your first match on grass, because otherwise the grass season can be very short,” Federer said.

Federer next faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who defeated French compatriot Benoit Paire 6-4, 7-5 at the grass-court tournament. He leads his rivalry with Tsonga 11-6, but the Frenchman has won their past two matchups - at 2016 Monte Carlo and 2014 Canada. The two have played on grass only once, a five-set win for Tsonga in the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Federer already has the best grass-court record in the Open era with 18 titles, and the 37-year-old can set a personal record with his 10th at a single event in Halle.

Date: 18 June 2019, Source: AP and ATP