Federer: "It's such an incredible opportunity missed, I can't believe it"

Roger Federer was so close, but yet so far away from lifting his ninth Wimbledon title on Sunday against Novak Djokovic. The Swiss superstar let slip two championship points while serving for the match at 8-7, 40/15 in a thrilling fifth set, eventually falling short 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 12-13 (3).

“I don't know if losing 2-2-2 feels better than this one. At the end, it actually doesn't matter to some extent. You might feel more disappointed, sad over angry,” Federer said. “I don't know what I feel right now. I just feel like it's such an incredible opportunity missed, I can't believe it. It is what it is.”

On his first opportunity to win the tournament, Federer missed a forehand wide. And on the next point, he pressured Djokovic by approaching to the Serbian’s forehand. The World No. 1 responded with a crosscourt winner past Federer’s outstretched racquet, eventually getting back on serve.

“I was still happy to be at 8-all, 9-all. I don't remember what it was. You’ve got to try to see the positives, you try to take it as a good thing that you're not down a break or that the match is not over yet,” Federer said. “If I could have picked it before the match to be at 9-all in the fifth, that wouldn't be a terrible thing. You just always try to push yourself to see things on the better side. But it was definitely tough to have those chances.”

The loss will sting for Federer, who was pursuing his 21st Grand Slam title. But it’s not the first time he has suffered a tough loss, and he knows he will have to put it behind him.

“Similar to getting broken when serving for the match: take it on your chin, you move on. You try to forget, try to take the good things out of this match. There's just tons of it,” Federer said. “Like similar to 2008 maybe, I will look back at it and think, ‘Well, it's not that bad after all.’ For now it hurts, and it should, like every loss does here at Wimbledon. I think it's a mindset. I'm very strong at being able to move on because I don't want to be depressed about actually an amazing tennis match.”

When Federer broke Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major trophies by winning his 15th at Wimbledon in 2009, Djokovic owned just one Grand Slam championship. Now the Serbian has 16 and Rafael Nadal has 18, both within striking range of 37-year-old Federer’s 20.

“It used to be a really, really big deal, I guess when you were close. I guess two behind, then eventually you tie, then eventually you break. That was big,” Federer said. “It's been different since, naturally because the chase is in a different place. I take motivation from different places. Not so much from trying to stay ahead, because I broke the record, and if somebody else does, well, that's great for them. You can't protect everything, anyway.

“I didn't become a tennis player for that. I really didn't. It's about trying to win Wimbledon, trying to have good runs here, playing in front of such an amazing crowd in this Centre Court against players like Novak and so forth. That's what I play for. So things are different now. But I'm very happy with my level of play nowadays, still.”

Despite the disappointment, Federer understands that people will remember this match forever. “I will try to forget,” Federer said on court after the match. But people will watch replays of this classic for years to come.

“We know what a great sport it is. I don't think we need the matches, per se. Maybe we need them to sometimes cross over to other sports, maybe get to the fans in the streets and so forth. If that's the case, that this match did something like this, I think that's great,” Federer said. “I think it was a great match with wonderful points played. It had everything. Novak played also amazing today. So I hope it resonates in a big way.”

It’s been 11 years since Federer played Nadal - whom he defeated in the semi-finals on Friday - in what many consider to be the best match ever. Federer also fell short in that five-set thriller.

“This one is more straightforward maybe in some ways because we didn't have the rain delays, we didn't have the night coming in and all that stuff. But sure, epic ending, so close, so many moments. Yeah, I mean, sure there's similarities,” Federer said. “I'm the loser both times, so that's the only similarity I see.”

Date: 15 July 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer defeats Nadal at Wimbledon, plays Djokovic in final

Roger Federer booked a place in his 12th final at The Championships, where he will attempt to lift a record-extending ninth trophy after a tactical masterclass against his long-time rival, Rafael Nadal, a two-time former titlist, on Friday at Wimbledon.

The Swiss superstar played at his aggressive best on return of serve, at the net and in long rallies to beat World No. 2 Nadal 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in their semi-final, which lasted three hours and two minutes, on Centre Court.

Federer seized the momentum in his 40th ATP Head to Head meeting against Nadal with a break of serve at 3-1 in the third set and, in spite of an early break in the fourth set, kept 18-time Grand Slam championship winner Nadal at bay before converting his fifth match point chance. It was their first grass-court clash since their legendary 2008 Wimbledon final, which Nadal won 9-7 in the fifth set.

“It's always very, very cool to play against Rafa here, especially as we haven't played here in so long,” said Federer. “It lived up to the hype, especially from coming out of the gates, we were both playing very well. Then, the climax at the end, with the crazy last game, some tough rallies there. It had everything at the end, which was great, I guess. I'm just relieved it's all over at this point.

“But it's definitely, definitely going to go down as one of my favourite matches to look back at, again, because it's Rafa, it's at Wimbledon, the crowds were into it, great weather. I felt like I played good also throughout the four sets. I can be very happy.”

The 37-year-old becomes the third oldest man in the Open Era (since 1968) to reach a Grand Slam championship final and now challenges World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the defending champion and four-time winner, on Sunday in a blockbuster clash at the All England Club. Djokovic, who beat No. 23 seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the semi-finals earlier on Friday, leads Federer 25-22 in their career series, including victories in the 2014 and 2015 Wimbledon finals.

Federer, who registered his 100th Wimbledon match win over Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, will now attempt to capture the 21st major championship crown of his career in his 31st final. The World No. 3 won the Wimbledon title in 2003-07, 2009, 2012 and 2017. Australia’s Ken Rosewall, who reached the final at 1974 Wimbledon, aged 39 years and 246 days, and two months later at the 1974 US Open, aged 39 years and 310 days, remains the oldest Grand Slam finalist since April 1968.

Nadal stood deep behind the baseline on return of serve and Federer soon picked up on the ploy, exposing the angles of the court and serve and volleying with great frequency. The match, played in breezy conditions at the All England Club, went with serve to the tie-break, but Federer did have a break point on Nadal’s serve at 3-4, 30/40, when the Spaniard’s excellent footwork helped. Nadal got himself out of trouble at 5-6, 40/0, losing three straight points, but in the tie-break raised his game to lead 3/2. From that point, Federer went on the attack, stepping into the court and rushing the net to win five of the next six points to clinch the 52-minute opener. Federer completed the set with a forehand, his 16th winner.

“I thought it was a tough first set with not many chances,” said Federer. “It came down to I thought a really good tie-break. I think I served well there, but I also came up with some really good returns and rallies. He got off the gates faster with a great lob, I believe, to get the mini break first. As the first set was dominated by a lot of good serving, I thought that was probably a big problem for me. But I was able to get out of that one."

Having won 27 of his 34 service points in the first set, Federer came under pressure in his opening service game of the second set, but continued to back himself at the net. The Swiss saved Nadal’s first break point with a smash and fired a backhand volley to deny the Spaniard on his second opportunity. One game later, it was Nadal’s turn to feel the heat as he recovered from 15/40, but Federer was still able to step inside the baseline. While Nadal’s return positioning, deep behind the baseline, was questioned, he soon won 10 points in a row, capitalising on a lapse in concentration from Federer, who lost his serve to love after a backhand error.

“I think the second set got tougher with the sun coming through on the Royal Box end,” said Federer. “So I got broken there. Also there was a little bit against the wind on the other side. Rafa was in the zone there. Maybe, also, I didn't serve as well. It was a close match and he was able to take charge after I had a couple chances early on in that second set, so that was tough. I was able to stick to my game plan, stay aggressive, stay offensive. I guess I also started to serve a bit better maybe after that second set."

Nadal carried the momentum, with Federer’s level dropping slightly in a 10-minute period. Federer mis-timed a forehand on approach to the net to give Nadal a 5-1 lead and the Spaniard then calmly closed out the second set with a hold to love - ending with an unreturned serve. Nadal won 30 of 45 points in the set, with 17 of 23 service points won.

As the intensity level increased early in the third set, Federer out-duelled Nadal in the fourth game, showcasing tremendous defence before ripping a backhand winner down the line for a break point. Nadal was then drawn to the net at 30/40, before Federer hit a backhand volley winner into space for a 3-1 advantage. Federer dug himself out of a 15/40 deficit in the next game, saving three break points - with Nadal left to rue missing a second serve return when Federer served at 0/30. Federer started to win the longer rallies, playing aggressively on return of serve, without mistakes to ensure that Nadal was placed on the back foot. The 2008 and 2010 titlist came back from 15/40 at 1-4, but Federer wasn’t to be denied as he soon secured the 37-minute set.

“The early break in the third set, I had a couple of mistakes in that moment. That was a tough moment I needed to resist. The beginning of the third set probably was one of the keys of the match,” said Nadal. “I started to play much better at the end of the match, but it was too late.”

Federer rode the momentum and broke Nadal early in the fourth set and later a deep forehand return helped him set up his first match point opportunity at 5-3. Nadal got back to Deuce with a well-placed serve that the Swiss returned long and a second match point chance came and went, with Nadal serving out wide in the Ad court. Upon winning the game for 4-5, Nadal ran to his chair and proceeded to take off the strapping on his left foot.

“I think I won a lot of the important points in the third and fourth set,” said Federer. “There were some brutal rallies in key moments that went my way. I think those might have made the difference today.”

A break point soon went begging with a backhand error to end an 11-stroke rally, and Federer could not convert two further match points, but at the fifth time of asking he earned his 38th match win of the season. Federer pumped his fists in celebration. He struck 51 winners, including 14 aces, saving six of eight break points against Nadal, who committed 25 unforced errors.

“It's been a tough one. I had my chances, but he played a little bit better than me,” said Nadal. “Probably I didn't play as good as I did in the previous rounds, and he played well. So he deserves it. Congrats to him.

“He is always able to do the most difficult things easily. He’s able to move inside the court quicker than anyone. He puts pressure on the opponent all the time because he has the ability to take the ball earlier than anybody else. That's probably the most difficult thing to make happen and he is able to do it so well.

“It’s not the day to find any excuse. My energy was there. I have been playing with the right energy and with the right intensity the whole tournament. Today, too. He played a great match and well done to him,” said Nadal.

Date: 12 July 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer earns historic 100th Wimbledon win, plays Nadal in semifinal

Eight-time champion Roger Federer beat No. 8 seed Kei Nishikori 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to earn his 100th Wimbledon match win, advancing to the semi-finals at the All England Club for a record 13th time.

He is the first player in history to earn 100 victories at a Grand Slam championship. Former World No. 1 Jimmy Connors had been closest to accomplishing the feat before Federer’s run this fortnight. The American won 98 matches at the US Open.

"It's special. It's been a lot of years I've been coming here. That's given me the opportunity to win a lot, naturally. I didn't think of it while I was playing today. Actually not at all, not once. Then as I'm signing, the guy says, 'Congratulations for your 100,'" Federer said. "It's nice, because if I look back at the hundred that have happened, some were so incredibly cool. Today again was a big match going into the semis to face Rafa. A hundred wins here at Wimbledon. Who would have thought? I didn't, for sure."

The second seed’s triumph also sets the stage for his first ATP Head to Head meeting against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon since their legendary 2008 final. Nadal defeated American Sam Querrey on No. 1 Court to advance to the semi-finals.

"He has improved so much over the years on this surface. He's playing also very different than he used to. Haven't played each other in a long, long time on this surface. He's serving way different. I remember back in the day how he used to serve, and now how much bigger he's serving, how much faster he finishes points," Federer said. "A lot of them are saying, 'Oh, it's the end,' by 2008. Similar to me in '09. We're still here, so it's nice to play each other again."

After losing his first set of the tournament against South African Lloyd Harris, Federer won 12 consecutive sets to cruise into the quarter-finals. But Nishikori, who beat Federer in their most recent match at last year’s ATP Finals, came out firing from the first point, going up 2-0 and earning three break points to take a 3-0, double-break lead, before the Swiss was able to hold and get on the board.

Nishikori was succeeding at the start of the match by taking the ball early and earning the first strike in rallies, keeping Federer from controlling points himself. And even though the Swiss maintained contact by avoiding going down a double-break, Nishikori took care of his serve, saving the lone break point he faced in the opener to take the lead.

From there, Federer significantly raised his level, punctuating a break to love in his first return game of the second set with a massive inside-in forehand winner. He used the momentum of that moment to cruise through the set, making just one unforced error in the set to even the match.

Nishikori, who made five straight Grand Slam quarter-finals, did not let Federer race away, saving a break point in the first game of the third set. But at 3-3, Federer got a ton of topspin on a forehand approach shot, dipping it right onto the baseline for a winner to break.

As he did throughout the match, Nishikori battled hard to avoid going down two sets to one, lacing a crosscourt forehand return winner at 4-5, 30/30 to earn a chance to get back on serve. But Federer was undeterred, staving off that chance and later crushing a swinging forehand volley to take the set.

Federer broke at 4-4 in the fourth set after Nishikori missed just long to end a long rally. And the Swiss wasted no time moving into the last four, holding to love.

The difference was Federer's serve, as he won 81 per cent of his first-serve points compared to just 57 per cent for Nishikori. In addition to saving five of the six break points he faced, the Swiss was also ruthlessly efficient in the forecourt against one of the best passing shot players in the sport, winning 81 per cent (25/31) of his net points.

Federer will meet Nadal at Wimbledon for the fourth time. They clashed on the historic London lawns each year from 2006-08, with Federer triumphing on the first two occasions to lift the trophy and Nadal claiming his maiden crown at The Championships in 2008. Nadal, who beat Federer in the Roland Garros semi-finals, leads their ATP Head to Head rivalry 24-15.

"It's going to be tough. Rafa is not just a clay court specialist. He can really can hurt anybody on any surface. He's that good," Federer said.

Federer is trying to become the first man in the Open Era to win five Grand Slam titles after turning 30. He is one of four men to have won four major trophies in the Open Era after his 30th birthday, alongside Rod Laver, Nadal and Ken Rosewall.

"Now to play against Roger always is a unique situation. Excited to be back on this court against him after 11 years. Means a lot for me and probably for him, too. I play against probably the best player of the history in this surface and know that I have to play my best if I want to have chances to try to be in the final," Nadal said.

Date: 10 July 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer to play Nishikori in Wimbledon quarterfinal

Matteo Berrettini walked onto Centre Court on Monday at the All England Club with more grass-court wins in 2019 (12) than anyone. But his opponent was Roger Federer, who showed why he is an eight-time Wimbledon champion.

Federer dominated the 23-year-old Italian 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in just one hour and 14 minutes, advancing to his 17th quarter-final at The Championships.

"Today was excellent. I was very happy," Federer said. "I was expecting a tough match and a close one with not many chances. It was actually quite the opposite, so that was great."

The 37-year-old Swiss lost his first set of the fortnight against Lloyd Harris, the first time he dropped a set in his first-round match at Wimbledon since 2010, when he came from two sets down against Alejandro Falla. But since, Federer has rolled, winning 12 consecutive sets.

Federer is trying to break his own record by lifting his ninth trophy at The Championships. But first, if he defeats Kei Nishikori in the last eight, he will earn his 100th Wimbledon victory, becoming the first player in the Open Era to earn 100 match wins at a Grand Slam tournament.

"I think it's going to be tough, plus Kei is getting into quarters with a lot of energy. I remember some of the Slams recently he arrived into the later stages with maybe some tough matches going into it. So far it's been really easy for him," Federer said. "I think he's ready. I'm a big fan of his game. I think he's got one of the best backhands in the game that we have right now. He's a great return player. Solid mentally. I always thought he was a great talent."

Federer set the tone early by blocking almost all of Berrettini’s thunderous serves right back into play. And throughout the match, once he neutralised the Italian’s serve, he found himself in a strong position in rallies, attacking the No. 17 seed’s backhand and coming to net when the opportunity presented itself.

"He didn't have his best day. I know that, as well. I was dialed in. I was able to get a lot of balls back, I think because of the conditions as well. I think if it would have been faster, then again we would have seen the match that I was expecting with few chances here and there," Federer said. "I was just able to maybe outmanoeuvre him with my slice. He couldn't hurt me enough with his forehand, which I thought was going to be maybe tough to manage today. Everything seemed to go easier.

"Eventually you know how it is, when you're down two sets to love so quickly, I mean, it's hard to figure things out. It's hard to change. I just think the conditions also didn't allow him to do that today."

Berrettini held to love in his first service game, but his success on serve did not last longer than that. Federer broke for 3-1 in the opening set by crushing an overhead smash, and Berrettini then made a backhand error to hand the second seed a second break in the opener.

Federer had his third break chance of the match at 1-1 in the second set. And although he did not get much pace on an approach shot, Berrettini missed a crosscourt forehand passing shot wide to give the World No. 3 the break. After Berrettini dumped a forehand into the net to give Federer another break, the Swiss took a two-set lead after 46 minutes with a heavy forehand to force an error.

If Berrettini was going to follow in Kevin Anderson’s footsteps, as the South African overcame a two-set deficit against Federer in last year’s quarter-finals, the World No. 20 needed a fast start in the third set. But instead of rushing forward to put away a high forehand volley when facing break point at 0-0 in the third, he let it drop too low and missed an attempted forehand drop volley into the net.

Berrettini maintained good spirits though. He tried to run around his backhand to hit a forehand on another break point, but Federer’s shot took a tough bounce off the sideline chalk, and Berrettini fell trying to make contact, cracking a laugh. Federer closed out his win by punishing a forehand volley into the open court.

In the next round, Federer will take a 7-3 ATP Head to Head series lead against Nishikori, who battled past Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 43 minutes.

Nishikori is into the quarter-finals of his fifth consecutive Grand Slam championship. The only other players who have made the last eight in each of those events are Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Against Kukushkin, the Japanese star converted five of his 13 break chances and won 61 per cent of his second-serve points, while the Kukushkin won only 44 per cent of his second-serve points.

The eighth seed has emerged victorious in 21 consecutive Grand Slam matches against players not named Djokovic or Nadal. He will take confidence onto the court against Federer having defeated the Swiss in their most recent meeting at last year's ATP Finals. Federer won their only Grand Slam battle at the 2017 Australian Open in five sets, and he also beat Nishikori on grass at 2014 Halle.

"I'm sure that I have to play good tennis to beat Roger, because he's best player on the grass," Nishikori said. "I think he seems to be playing good this week, past two weeks. I'm sure it's going to be tough. But I feel like I am very confident this week, playing good tennis."

Date: 8 July 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer beats Pouille for 350th Grand Slam match win

Eight-time champion Roger Federer was pushed early in his third-round Wimbledon clash against No. 27 seed Lucas Pouille, appearing in danger of dropping the first set for the second time this week. But one 10-minute surge was all the 37-year-old Swiss needed to grab the match and move into the second week at The Championships for the 17th time.

Federer defeated Australian Open semi-finalist Pouille 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in two hours and 6 minutes, becoming the first player in history to earn 350 Grand Slam singles wins. He is also the first man in the Open Era to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon 17 times, breaking a tie with Jimmy Connors.

"It's a nice number to achieve and I have enjoyed my time at the slams. They've given me some of the most memorable and special moments on a tennis court, so of course it's nice winning that much.

"I don't know how many years I have got left but at the moment I am really enjoying myself. I love to move on the grass, it comes very naturally to me. It's been wonderful.

"I'm very happy how it's going so far at Wimbledon. I thought it was a good match with Lucas today. Of course, I hope it's going to take a special performance from somebody to stop me," Federer said.

Pouille reached just one tour-level quarter-final since advancing to the last four in Melbourne this January. But the 25-year-old came out firing in his second appearance in the third round at SW19. The Frenchman went blow-for-blow with Federer in the early going, engaging in fast-paced rallied on the baseline with the 102-time tour-level titlist.

But Federer proved capable of maintaining his level in those types of exchanges, and that was key in determining the patterns of the match. The second seed hit 39 winners to just 14 unforced errors to advance to a battle against No. 17 seed and recent Stuttgart champion Matteo Berrettini, who defeated No. 24 seed Diego Schwartzman in a five-set thriller.

The biggest moment of the match arguably came at 5-5 in the first set, when Pouille earned a break point that, if converted, would have allowed him to serve for the opener. Federer used two overhead smashes to stave off that chance, and never looked back from there, winning the next six games to take a commanding lead.

"I'm happy that I'm able to raise my level of play," Federer said. "There was a great run of games midway through the second, also after winning the first. I like seeing moments like that in a match for me."

Pouille recovered well in the third set, using good depth to keep Federer from completely exerting his will on Centre Court. The Frenchman saved the first match point he faced while serving at 5-6, eventually forcing a tie-break. But Federer used a strong return to take control of a point on his first return point of the tie-break, and he stormed on from there. The 19-time tour-level grass-court titlist closed out his triumph when Pouille hit a backhand into the net.

Federer has never previously faced Berrettini, who has climbed from No. 81 to No. 20 in the ATP Rankings since the start of Wimbledon last year. The Italian saved three match points in the fourth set before outlasting Schwartzman 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in four hours and 19 minutes, falling to the Court 18 grass after Schwartzman missed a backhand on his first match point. It was the longest match of the tournament so far.

The 23-year-old has now won 12 of his 13 tour-level grass-court matches this year, despite having been 1-3 on the surface previously. Berrettini won two points less than Schwartzman overall, but he struck 22 aces and hit 75 winners in his victory.

"I don't know him very well. So that makes it a bit more tricky, as well. I saw him play a little bit in Halle. Saw his run, of course, in Stuttgart. Now he's backing it up here again. That's not easy to do, especially when you're sort of newer on the Tour," Federer said. "I'm expecting a tough one. I hope he has no energy left after today. I'm sure he'll recover. He's young. I'm sure we'll see a tough match on Monday."

Federer is into the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the 65th time, extending his record for most trips to the fourth round of a major in the Open Era.

Date: 6 July 2019, Source: ATP and Reuters

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Federer reaches Wimbledon third round

Roger Federer walked on No. 1 Court with a 16-1 record in the second round at Wimbledon. And although his wild card opponent, Jay Clarke, put forth an admirable effort in front of his home crowd, that record was not blemished any further.

Federer overcame a tight second set to beat Clarke 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2, advancing to the third round at SW19 for the 17th time, equalling Jimmy Connors’ Open Era record. It is his 70th trip to the third round of a major, extending his own record.

In the first round, Federer faced a slight bump, losing the first set against South African Lloyd Harris. But he was much sharper from the first ball against Clarke, moving on after one hour and 37 minutes, striking 46 winners to just 25 unforced errors in a clean match for the eight-time champion.

"It was a good start to the match, which is always nice, especially after the last match, trying to do a better job there," Federer said. "I was trying to be more aggressive than in my previous match. I was able to do that. Also the reaction was good again in the third set. Obviously was a bit tight in the second, but I was able to hold my nerve and serve well when I had to."

He was sure to get off to a quick start, breaking serve twice in the opening set and swooping into the forecourt successfully often, winning 10 of 13 net points in the first.

If Clarke was going to work his way towards a stunning upset, he had to pull through the second set, in which he was strong on serve to reach a tie-break. But after taking an early mini-break when Federer missed a sitting forehand volley, the Swiss buckled down, winning six of the set’s final seven points. He hit his seventh ace of the match to close out the tie-break.

"In the second set, I think he did very well to stay with me. Every time he got a little bit close on his service games, he was able to produce something special," Federer said. "He had his chances in the breaker, where I donated him a missed volley. He could have pulled away. I was able to come back right away. But I liked what I saw in Jay."

Federer did not lose a first-serve point in the final two sets (30/30), winning 91 per cent of points on his first delivery in the match. He saved the two break points he faced.

"It was very much dominated by my serves, I thought my service games. Then on the return, just tried my best," Federer said. "Sometimes it was working, sometimes not, which is normal I think on the grass."

Federer now has 97 wins at Wimbledon, as he continues his pursuit to win 100 matches at a single tournament for the first time. The 37-year-old is trying to win his ninth Wimbledon crown to extend his own record at the grass-court Grand Slam.

"My first two matches haven’t been physically taxing so the tank is nice and full. This first week has been going well and I know the opponents in terms of ranking will now get better."

Federer will next face No. 27 seed Lucas Pouille, who beat fellow Frenchman Gregoire Barrere 6-1, 7-6 (0), 6-4 in one hour and 37 minutes. The second seed won his only previous ATP Head to Head match against Pouille in straight sets, but that came five years ago at the Paris Masters.

Pouille has proven capable of making a deep run at a Grand Slam, advancing to the semi-finals at this year's Australian Open. The 25-year-old hit 39 winners in his triumph.

Date: 4 July 2019, Source: ATP and AFP

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Federer rallies to win Wimbledon opener

Roger Federer had to overcome an early deficit on Tuesday as he began his journey for a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title. But the 37-year-old Swiss soon restored normalcy, racing past South African Lloyd Harris 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to win his 17^th consecutive Wimbledon opener.

The second seed broke six times to rally against Harris, the 22-year-old who was an alternate at last year's Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and was making his Wimbledon debut.

The 6'4” right-hander, however, had the Centre Court crowd murmuring as he returned aggressively and broke in the sixth game, the first time Federer had been broken in the first round of Wimbledon since 2012 against Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Harris then took the opener, marking the first time Federer had lost his first set at Wimbledon since 2010 against Colombian Alejandro Falla, a match the Swiss won in five sets.

But Federer settled down quickly and went on attack against Harris, whose level slipped after the opener. Federer won 29 of his 31 net points (94%) for the match and finished with 42 winners to only 14 unforced errors.

“I felt the court was slow. I couldn't really have any impact. He was doing a good job of returning me. I wasn't hitting my spots, and he was reading my serve, or he was just doing a good job,” Federer said.

“I just struggled early on, my legs were frozen and the ball was not going where I wanted it to. He was hitting big and things were going quickly. I was nervous for a set and a half. In defence, you're weak. The next thing you know you're struggling. That's what I had going. So it took a good effort from me. Lloyd played a good match.

“But I think with my experience I stayed calm. I know I have other things in the bag that I can come up with, other tricks. I just took a bit of time.”

The Swiss won his 10^th title in Halle on 23 June for his 102^nd tour-level title and 19^th on grass. Five of the eight times Federer has won Wimbledon, he's won Halle as well. Federer will next meet Brit Jay Clarke, who beat American Noah Rubin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. Federer won the Wimbledon junior boys' title the in 1998, the year the 20-year-old Clarke was born.

Federer has not lost in the first round of a Grand Slam since 2003 Roland Garros (l. to Luis Horna). The Swiss has lost in the Wimbledon first round three times: on debut as a wild card in 1999 (l. Jiri Novak), in 2000 (l. Yevgeny Kafelnikov) and as the seventh seed in 2002 (l. Mario Ancic).

Date: 2 July 2019, Source: ATP and AFP

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