Federer Edges Goffin In Halle QFs

Top seed and eight-time champion Roger Federer is one match away from reaching the Gerry Weber Open final for the 11th time after he defeated fifth seed David Goffin 6-1, 7-6(10) in 81 minutes on Friday. The Swiss broke back with Goffin serving for the second set and secured the win on his fifth match point.

The Swiss will compete against Alexander Zverev in Saturday’s semi-finals. Federer won their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting 6-3, 7-5 at last month’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Federer took a 3-0 lead against Goffin in the 21-minute first set, which included five breaks of serve. The pair exchanged service breaks midway through the second set, prior to Goffin breaking Federer to 15 for a 5-4 lead. Goffin failed to convert one set point when serving at 5-4, 40/30 and four more in the second-set tie-break. It was Federer’s 29th straight win against Belgian opponents.

Zverev, part of the ATP’s ‘Next Generation’, recorded his 26th match win in a career-best year to knock out 2007 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(9), 6-3 in just over 90 minutes. Zverev saved five set points at 3/6, 6/7 and 8/9 in the first set tie-break.

Third seed Dominic Thiem advanced to the semi-finals without hitting a ball when 2011 titlist Philipp Kohlschreiber, the eighth seed, withdrew prior to the match due to a left hip strain. The pair had contested the BMW Open by FWU AG and Mercedes Cup finals this year.