Playing for the first time since the Rome Masters this spring, Federer fought past Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 during second-round action at the Mercedes Cup on Thursday afternoon. A rain-delayed match that started on Wednesday ultimately ended after one hour and 40 minutes in total.
After play was interrupted with Federer leading by a break at 4-3 in the first set, the top seeded came back out not quite 24 hours later and finished off the opener without too much trouble. Fritz, however, bounced back and broke serve at 6-5 in the second to force a decider.
The third came down to nothing more than break-point conversions. Federer capitalized on his lone chance, while Fritz could not get the job done on any of his two opportunities. A service hold for 5-4 sealed the deal for the former world No. 1, who struck eight aces to Fritz’s nine.
“It wasn’t easy,” Federer assessed. “I thought Fritz had some good moments there. He gained control of the baseline; he had a little bit of an upper-hand at times. He served well and I was a little bit cautious, unsure of how to move and questioning my defense. These are the things I will need to iron out.
“I can take a lot of confidence out of this match. I need to improve a few things, but I served big and I was able to handle three sets over two days and find some energy at the end of the match. I know I have an extra gear. My next goal is to stretch leads–once I get a lead, I need to know that I can protect it and then take the next step.”
“It’s always disappointing to take a loss, when you’ve come close and you’ve definitely had chances in the match,” Fritz admitted. “I played great and if you’d told me before that I would have taken a set off Federer, I would have been happy.”
Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMzCJ9RkgjQ
Federer interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UAHImoADJ0
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Federer finished off a 29-minute opening set but found himself in a battle in the second as Fritz began gaining confidence.