Roger Federer will play in the Noventi Open final for the 13th time in his illustrious career on Sunday after taking care of Pierre Hugues-Herbert 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Federer is already a nine-time champion in Halle, where he is now sporting a 67-7 lifetime record.
“It’s great; I thought it was a very solid performance from me,” said the 37-year-old Swiss, who had previously endured three-setters against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Roberto Bautista Agut. “I didn’t struggle on serve and [when] I had my opportunities on the return, I was able to take them…. I was able to find some good energy today, especially in the important moments, because the past couple days have been tough. It’s been a lot of tennis, so this is maybe exactly what I need going into the final.”
David Goffin awaits what will be a ninth career contest between the two players. Federer is dominating the head-to-head series 7-1, and it’s a series that dates back to 2012–when Goffin probably still had posters of Federer on his wall–at the French Open. The Belgian’s lone victory came in the semis of the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, but Federer won their only previous Halle encounter (2016) and their only previous title match (2014 Basel).
“He’s a great guy,” Federer said of Goffin. “I really like his game. He’s got one of the best backhand in the game. [He is] super fast on his feet and he’s got great footing on a court that’s really difficult. He played a great match against (Matteo) Berrettini today to stop his run and also against (Alexander) Zverev. I watched that match and that was mighty impressive. So I think I’m going to have a tough final, anyway at this stage, but particularly against David–who I have a lot of respect for.”
Goffin beat a red-hot Berrettini 7-6(4), 6-3 in the semifinals. He preceded that with wins over Guido Pella, Radu Albot, and the second-seeded Zverev.
[polldaddy poll=10348591]
who ya got?
Fed in 2 or 3. Roger was struggling a bit earlier but looked good in his semi and the head to head strongly favors him. As long as Roger serves well, Goffin should not be a problem.
I know the odds are stacked against Goffin, but I so want him to beat Federer, and win this title. He’s struggled so hard with injuries, and lack of confidence the past couple of years, and has worked so hard to get back to his top level. This kind of win would be great for him.I also love a great upset, and have no interest in watching Federer win his billionth title.
Fed in 2
Roger has a good shot at winning this. It won’t be easy against an in-form Goffin but he will get his 10th http://www.138mph.com/federer-goffin-in-halle-and-lopez-simon-and-andy-murray-in-the-queens-club-championships/
Goffin said he had ‘nothing to lose’. Must be a visitor of this site.
In that case, chances are he’s a Rafa fan .
Lucky 13 for Rog!
Goffin is arguably a stronger form line than Tsonga or RBA so this could go down to the wire also.
Great job by Federer to snag the second seed for wimbledon. Amazing how the top 3 continue to deliver when under pressure
Don’t like rafa losing the second seeding! Still the earlier rounds are the real risk
Don’t see anyone but the big 3 winning wimby.
Will Ricky pick Nole or Fed??!!
Ricky’s pick:
Final
Djokovic over Federer
You heard it here first. 😉
Let’s see the draw first.
This year, there is not a clear favourite for the Wimbledon. Anyone of the top3, but there is little to separate them.
GOAT…in 2.
One of the big three to win , yes, but below that, pretty much wide open .
Pity theres so many injured, Delpo,Raonic etc.
If only Kyrgios had the mental game of Ash Barty, he might even be the sort of threat at Wimbledon that could take the game away from the big three.
Alas, he is mentally the total opposite of Barty so he probably won’t be a factor.
I’m favoring Djokovic slightly at this point (I don’t think Federer was all that good at Halle) but Federer is definitely a chance as is Nadal.
I disagree about Kyrgios; I doubt he has the physicality to go the distance against not one but three of them (the big three). His win over Rafa in 2014 Wimbledon was because nobody knew about him and his game at that time, and Rafa himself was already struggling during the clay season (one of his worse clay season despite winning the FO, after he suffered back injury starting at the AO that year). Kyrgios lost his next match after beating Rafa.
Since then, he hardly could trouble anyone at the slams; even Berdych beat him at the AO one year if I’m not wrong. Kyrgios game is unlike say Tsitsipas’, his game is more hit or miss, because he hasn’t the patience, the temperament to stay in a point long enough to win it in the end; he just wants to show off and entertain, grabbing attention more than actually winning the match. If things don’t go his way, he has the tendency to give up and loses interest.
If Kyrgios put in the hard work? Well, I think he won’t be playing the way he plays right now and I doubt he’s going to enjoy playing tennis, so no, don’t expect him to play his brand of tennis and still gets all the wins, because when facing the big three, they’ll make him play one more ball than what he desires and thus will frustrate him into making errors.
I didn’t mean to say Kyrgios could realistically beat all 3 at Wimbledon at once even if his head was right. Even if he really got his game together he may not be that good/consistently good to beat more than one, he doesn’t play with much margin.
It’s true physically there are problems as well. Some of this is down to bad stroke technique so it may persist, but otherwise I suspect he doesn’t train/recover properly. He basically admits this himself, just last match he chastised himself for ‘playing FIFA till 3AM’ before his match.
Sure, 2014 wasn’t Rafa’s best, and he was beaten by lesser players on grass during those early-exit years too. Still, he’s faced plenty of talented players for the first time and beat them down comfortably. The fact remains, despite all the bs, when Kyrgios (rarely) gets it together his game is especially dangerous on fast courts. Look at his record against the big three – how many players on tour can match that? Very few, suggesting that Kyrgios is capable of playing a high level in big matches against the best competition, and that most of his problems are between the ears.
He won’t put in the hard work (if ever) until the mindset changes. Maybe that won’t ever happen, and he’ll never win a slam – it’s more than a possibility. He’s got some years left to do it, but admittedly it doesn’t look good so far.
Mentally Kyrgios is a 2 year old. He wants what he wants when he wants it and he’ll have a tantrum if he doesn’t get it. No impulse control. Like a 2 year old he can be charming, even helpful – if he feels like it. He’s like the little girl in the nursery rhyme. She could be very, very good but when she was bad she was horrid. Unfortunate but hardly tragic. He makes a good living and as far as I know he doesn’t do illegal stuff.
TWD, please note that all his wins except one, came in BO3 matches! If he’s able to beat the big three a few times at the slams, then I’ll believe he’s something else!
As it is, he has nothing to show at the slams after beating Rafa, his only famous win at the slams. We’re talking about slams here, where Delpo at 20 had already beaten up Rafa and Fed to win his USO title. Even Tsonga, at 22/23 had already done better than Kyrgios now, when he had beaten Rafa en route to his AO2008 final. These are just some examples.
Yes, he has done little at the slams…but so have practically all the next gen, except Tsitsipas who should get some credit for taking out Fed at the AO. He and FAA could well end up with slams before Kyrgios/Zverev.
I wouldn’t worry about the age thing too much as it’s not necessarily indicative of what’s to come, it’s not uncommon for players to show some of their best tennis in their late 20s now. I’m not holding my breath on Kyrgios to ever get it together & win a slam, but as I say, he still has some time on his side. If he never does, indeed it won’t be tragic, just a bit disappointing.
TWD, Kyrgios is more interested in playing basketball than tennis. I doubt he’ll ever put in the effort.
Remember Gulbis? He’s another who has wasted his talent, I read that Gulbis thought during his younger days, that he with his talent, could win one slam to prove that he’s at least talented enough to win one even without hard work, more to prove he’s as talented if not more talented than the big three. Look what he has achieved so far in his tennis career?
Kyrgios may end up be another Gulbis.
I always forget about that match Tsonga played against Nadal in AO 2008. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more perfect performance from someone outside the big 3. Tsonga was on another level that match.
Tsonga S&V all the way throughout the match, Rafa had no answer, beaten soundly. Tsonga not only had beaten Rafa there, he had also beaten Murray, the no.9 seed, in R1, and Gasquet the no. 8 seed in R4. Djoko had to fight so hard to beat Tsonga in the final; Djoko was playing at a high level himself throughout the tournament.
At least Tsonga backed up his good results that year by winning Bangkok (beating Djoko in the final) and winning the Paris Masters. He was in top ten from that year on for a good few years.
Cilic vs Fed USO2014, Stan vs Fed FO2015, Delpo vs Rafa USO2009., Berdych vs Djoko Wimbledon 2010?
Federer says whenever he has won halle he has had successful Wimbledon’s…so he is set up very nicely…in short he is saying he is looking to win wimby
Wimbledon Championships 2019 seeds for gentlemen’s and ladies were unveiled after the Swiss World Number three, Roger Federer earned his second seed badge yesterday in Halle after defeating David Goffin in the finals and after Ashleigh Barty turned World Number one by lifting up the Nature Valley Classic title in Birmingham.
Wimbledon Championships 2019 Seeds: Gentlemen’s Singles
Last year’s 12th seed and the reigning champion of the grass-court major, Novak Djokovic will top-seeded for the sixth time at Wimbledon and this year he was top-seed at the other majors as well.
Federer will not play the World Number one, Djokovic before the finals. Last year’s semifinalist and the two-time Wimbledon champion, Rafael Nadal is seeded after his rivals, Federer and Djokovic.
The World Number two, Nadal adds 855 points (which are determined from his past two year’s performance at Wimbledon) to his ATP Ranking points and it sums up to be 8,800 points, and whereas the Federer’s tally aggregates to 8,980 points.
Besides the ‘Big Three’, World Number eight and Wimbledon 2018 finalist, Kevin Andersonis seeded fourth. Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Kei Nishikoriare seeded fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
Kevin Anderson
Dominic Thiem
Alexander Zverev
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Kei Nishikori
John Isner
Karen Khachanov
Daniil Medvedev
Fabio Fognini
Marin Cilic
Borna Coric
Milos Raonic
Gael Monfils
https://www.essentiallysports.com/wimbledon-championships-2019-seeds/
Huge opportunity for those who land in Kevin’s quarter of the draw. Doubt he will make much of an impact coming off of the injury.
Actually I don’t see much difference in the TOP sixteen seeds using Wimbledon rankings vs the actual ATP rankings. The top sixteen ranked players are effectively the TOP sixteen seeds at Wimbledon; it’s only Basilashvili that’s being ‘kicked’ out of the TOP sixteen seeds (with Delpo also out as he’s injured).
The Wimbledon seeding system is getting obsolete these days as players could play effectively on any surface; there’s no longer that many surface specialists these days.
Agree Benny. Anderson’s Quarter, at least now, looks like the ‘opportunity’ side of the draw especially for younger players, like FA. Also, if Lopez gets there, he may have a good chance to advance to the QF.