“I’m extremely happy because I really struggled against him in Miami and he definitely got my attention there. I was basically a point away from losing,” Federer said. “It was important for me to show a reaction to that match and come out with a proper game plan. I think I learned a lot from that match.
“I really respect Radu. He tries everything to win in a really tough, great and fair way. I’m very happy with the way I played. I had an answer for everything he threw at me today and that’s great.”
Federer improved to 73-9 in Basel. The 38-year-old has dropped a mere five games in his first two rounds, competing in his 1,500th tour-level match as he defeated German Peter Gojowczyk on Monday.
“Maybe I was feeling some pressure in my first appearances and it was, in some ways, the hardest to play in front of friends and family in Basel, but not in the past 17 years,” Federer said. “I’ve really enjoyed every moment and always tried to understand how I should take advantage of playing at home.”
In Miami, Albot pushed Federer to the edge in a three-set tussle. Armed with the knowledge of how dangerous the Moldovan can be, Federer brought his best tennis from the first point. The Swiss dominated the baseline rallies throughout the opening set, firing 13 winners as he sprinted to an early advantage after 22 minutes.
Albot did his best to keep his spirits up and the crowd entertained in spite of the one-sided scoreline. He cracked a sarcastically bemused smile after a rare Federer error at 0-2 in the second set, then bowed to the crowd after holding serve in that game to get on the board.
But while the Moldovan won a moral victory by avoiding a double bagel, he wasn’t able to win much else on the night as Federer continued his vintage form. A strong backhand from the Swiss wrapped up play after 62 minutes. Federer finished the night with 32 winners to just 21 unforced errors, in addition to taking 75 per cent of his service points (30/40).
Awaiting Federer in the next round is seventh-seeded Swiss Stan Wawrinka or American Frances Tiafoe, who both won their respective first-round matches on Wednesday. Federer leads Tiafoe 3-0 in their ATP Head to Head series, including a win in Basel two years ago. He also holds a 23-3 advantage over Wawrinka in their ATP Head to Head rivalry and has prevailed in their past seven matches. Federer won their lone Basel clash in the 2011 semi-finals.
“I think the fans would love a match against Stan because he’s struggled at this tournament for some reason, but it’s great to see him back healthy,” Federer said. “We’ve always had some tough matches, even on hard courts. Hopefully this match happens for the fans.”
The six games Federer has dropped so far this week is the fewest he's lost in his opening two matches in Basel since 2006.
Date: 24 October 2019, Source: ATP and AFP
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