Final previews and picks: Federer vs. Falla, Dimitrov vs. Lopez

Roger Federer will bid for another Halle title when he takes the court against Alejandro Falla on Sunday in Halle. At Queen’s Club, meanwhile, Grigor Dimitrov is squaring off with Feliciano Lopez.

Halle: Alejandro Falla vs. (2) Roger Federer

Federer and Falla will be going head-to-head for the seventh time in their careers when they battle for the Gerry Weber Open title on Sunday. Amazingly, it will be their fifth encounter on grass. Less surprisingly, Federer has won all six of their previous meetings–four on grass and also two on clay. The Swiss won 11 consecutive sets in their first four matches, but the last two went the distance. Their most memorable showdown came in the Wimbledon first round in 2010, when Federer came back from two sets down to prevail 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0. They also faced each other at the London Olympics and Federer scored a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory. A 2010 Halle date went the favorite’s way via a more convincing 6-1, 6-2 decision.

To say Federer is tough to beat in Halle would be an understatement. The 17-time Grand Slam champion is 45-5 lifetime at the tournament with six titles. He is one win away from a seventh following scalps this week of Joao Sousa and Kei Nishikori (he also got a walkover past Yen-Hsun Lu). Falla advanced by taking out Lukasz Kubot, Robin Haase, Peter Gojowczyk, and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Still, the 69th-ranked Colombian is just 9-8 at the ATP level this season. Federer improved considerably against Nishikori after a struggle in round two and Falla is coming off a tough three-setter against Kohlschreiber, so this should be one-way traffic.

Pick: Federer in 2 losing 8 games or fewer

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Queen’s Club: (4) Grigor Dimitrov vs. Feliciano Lopez

Dimitrov and Lopez will be squaring off for the second time in their careers when they collide in the final of the Aegon Championships on Sunday. Interestingly, their only previous meeting came at this same Queen’s Club event, with Lopez rolling to a 6-2, 6-4 win in 2010. Dimitrov, of course, is a much different player now at 23 years old. The Bulgarian is 29-9 for his 2014 campaign and he is up to No. 13 in the world. So far this week he has taken out James Ward, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, and Radek Stepanek (he also got a walkover from Alexandr Dolgopolov).

Lopez booked his spot in the title match with victories over Dusan Lajovic, Lleyton Hewitt, Kenny De Schepper, Tomas Berdych, and Radek Stepanek. The 32-year-old is now 19-14 for the season and he registers at 29th in the world. He is perhaps the only relevant Spaniard who is far more dangerous on grass than clay. Lopez is bidding for his fourth title in his 10th career ATP final. Dimitrov has also lifted three ATP trophies, including two this season. Those recent experiences and the fact that Dimitrov has enjoyed a much simpler week should see him through to the winner’s circle.

Pick: Dimitrov in 3

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