Gerry Weber Open 2015 Halle
Federer Wins 8th Halle Crown, Defeats Seppi in Gerry Weber Open Final
@swiss_tennis #RogerFederer claims 8th #Halle #GerryWeberOpen, his 86th pro #tennis crown http://t.co/NS8HwM8qEJ pic.twitter.com/ESxa0iTlBA
— ITS Tennis News (@itennisschool) June 24, 2015
atpworldtour.com: June 21, 2015 Halle, Germany - Roger Federer further cemented himself as the grass king on Sunday at the GERRY WEBER OPEN, capturing an unprecedented eighth Halle title and 15th overall crown on the surface. The World No. 2 overcame a strong test from Andreas Seppi to prevail 7-6(1), 6-4, claiming their third FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting of the year. Federer improved to 12-1 against the Italian, firing 14 aces and 36 winners, while staving off all four break points faced.
A day after earning his 50th match win in Halle, Federer became just the third player in the Open Era to claim at least eight titles in a single tournament, joining Rafael Nadal and Guillermo Vilas. Nadal has won nine times at Roland Garros and eight in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, while Vilas emerged victorious on eight occasions in his home capital of Buenos Aires.
Federer was clutch throughout the one-hour and 48-minute affair, saving a pair of set points at 5-4 in the first, before racing through the ensuing tie-break. A slice approach and lunge volley gave him a 2-0 lead and he would secure the opener after Seppi netted a double fault. It was the top seed's sixth straight tie-break won this week and he would press for a break in the eighth game of the second set, but Seppi held after 10 minutes. The Italian would not be as fortunate in his next service game, and with the added pressure of serving to stay in the match, he fell behind 15/40 and was unable to recover.
One of 13 titlists aged 30 & over in 2015, Federer brings home €381,760 and 500 Emirates ATP Ranking points. He improved to 86-44 in tour-level finals and is now eight titles behind Ivan Lendl for second on the Open Era list.
Halle Open Men's Singles Final Sunday June 21
1-Roger Federer beat Andreas Seppi 7-6(1) 6-4
Day 6: Saturday June 20
Federer Edges Karlovic, Claims 50th Win in Halle; Nishikori Injured, Seppi in Final
#RogerFederer edges #IvoKarlovic
76(3) 76(4) to reach #GerryWeberOpen final 10th time http://t.co/NS8HwM8qEJ pic.twitter.com/oumycuzTNk
— ITS Tennis News (@itennisschool) June 20, 2015
atpworldtour.com: June 20, 2015 Halle, Germany – Roger Federer will play for his eighth Gerry Weber Open title after withstanding 20 aces to edge Ivo Karlovic 7-6(3), 7-6(4) Saturday in Halle. The top seed owns the most grass-court titles in the Open Era and will look for his 15th crown on the lawns when he faces either Kei Nishikori or Andreas Seppi in Sunday’s final at this newly reclassified ATP World Tour 500 tournament.
The Swiss won just five points on Karlovic’s serve in the first set, but nailed a backhand passing shot on a second serve return in the seventh point of the tie-break and reeled off the final four points of the set. Federer saved the only break point of the match in the fourth game of the second set as the match inevitably progressed to another tie-break. The Basel native squandered his initial mini-break advantage, but reclaimed the lead at 5-4 as Karlovic netted a backhand volley and did not lose another point.
Karlovic’s 20 aces took his tally for the week to 114; he hit an ATP World Tour (best-of-three) record 45 aces in his quarter-final win over Tomas Berdych. The 36-year-old Croat did not lose serve all week in 48 games. Federer has a 33-6 match record on the season and is chasing his fourth title of the campaign to add to trophies in Brisbane (d. Raonic), Dubai (d. Djokovic) and Istanbul (d. Cuevas).
Andreas Seppi reached the final for the first time in Halle as he advanced when second-seed Kei Nishikori retired at 4-1 in the first set due to an injury.
Halle Open Men's Singles Semifinals Saturday June 20
1-Roger Federer beat 8-Ivo Karlovic 7-6(3) 7-6(4)
Andreas Seppi beat 2-Kei Nishikori 4-1 ret.
Day 5: Friday June 20
Federer, Nishikori Reach Semis; Karlovic Fires Record 45 Aces to Upset Berdych
atpworldtour.com: June 19, 2015 Halle, Germany – Roger Federer raced into the Gerry Weber Open semi-finals Friday after dismissing German Florian Mayer 6-0, 7-6(1) in 64 minutes. Chasing a record eighth Halle title, Federer is unlikely to expect any further bagel sets when he meets big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic, who fired a record 45 aces in his three-set quarter-final win over Tomas Berdych. Karlovic, who came into this week holding an ATP-equal-best 94 percent of service games in 2015, pushed Federer to three sets when they last met in Basel in 2014.
In the first set against Mayer, Federer struck 14 winners and won all six points on the German’s second serve. It was the World No. 2’s fifth career bagel in Halle, the last one coming in a 6-0, 6-0 win over Mischa Zverev in the quarter-finals in 2013. The crafty Mayer did mount a stiff challenge in the second set. The 31 year-old, who entered Halle on a protected ranking, was once 18th in the world. He is comfortable on grass, having compiled a 27-15 record in Tour-level matches on the surface. Mayer saved two break points to push the second set to a tie-break, but Federer found his range and took it seven points to one.
Halle Open Men's Singles Quarterfinals Friday June 19
1-Roger Federer vs Florian Mayer 6-0 7-6(1)
8-Ivo Karlovic beat 3-Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-7(8) 6-3
Andreas Seppi beat 4-Gael Monfils 6-1 1-0 ret.
2-Kei Nishikori beat Jerzy Janowicz 6-4 5-7 6-3
Day 4: Thursday June 18
Nishikori, Monfils into Quarters; Seppi Upsets Robredo; Janowicz Beats Falla
atpworldtour.com: June 18, 2015 Halle, Germany – Kei Nishikori reached the Gerry Weber Open quarter-finals for the second straight year. The second seed recorded his 36th win of the season as he beat wild card Dustin Brown 7-5, 6-1. He will now face Jerzy Janowicz, who reached his first grass-court quarter-final for two years (2013 Wimbledon semi-finals). The Pole defeated qualifier and last year’s runner-up Alejandro Falla 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in just under two hours.
Fourth seed Gael Monfils secured his place in the quarter-finals with a 7-6(1), 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin in one hour and 23 minutes. The Frenchman will look to match his best result in Halle, a semi-final run in 2011 (l. to Kohlschreiber), when he next meets Andreas Seppi. The Italian broke a four-match losing streak against fifth seed Tommy Robredo, in their 11th meeting. Seppi saved six of eight break points to win 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3.
Halle Open Men's Singles Second Round Thursday June 18
2-Kei Nishikori beat Dustin Brown 7-5 6-1
4-Gael Monfils beat Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6(1) 6-4
Andreas Seppi beat 5-Tommy Robredo 6-2 6-7(6) 6-3
Jerzy Janowicz beat Alejandro Falla 6-2 5-7 6-2
Day 3: Wednesday June 17
Federer Tops Gulbis to Reach Quarters
atpworldtour.com: June 17 2015 Halle, Germany - Roger Federer and Ernests Gulbis had gone the distance in splitting their previous four FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, including a five-set encounter won by the Latvian last year at Roland Garros. On Wednesday at the GERRY WEBER OPEN, Federer avenged that loss with their first straight-sets result. The top seed and seven-time Halle champion defeated his 86th-ranked opponent 6-3, 7-5.
After taking the opening set in 27 minutes with one break of serve, Federer brought up triple break point at 5-all in the second. Gulbis saved the first two, but double-faulted on the third.
The 33-year-old Swiss is looking to win his 15th grass-court title this week at this newly reclassified ATP World Tour 500 tournament.
Federer had come within two points of defeat in his Halle opener against 2011 champion Philipp Kohlschreiber on Monday, but reeled off three straight points to close the third set tie-break.
He will look to extend his Halle winning streak to 10 straight matches when he next faces German Florian Mayer. Federer has a 5-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Mayer, including a pair of victories in Halle.
Results Halle Open Men's Singles Second Round Wednesday June 17
1-Roger Federer beat Ernests Gulbis 6-3 7-5
3-Tomas Berdych beat Borna Coric 6-3 6-2
8-Ivo Karlovic beat Alexander Zverev 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3
Florian Mayer beat Steve Johnson 6-3 7-6(4)
Day 2: Tuesday June 16
Nishikori, Berdych, Monfils Win Openers in Halle; Cuevas, Tomic Upset
atpworldtour.com: June 16 2015 Halle, Germany - Kei Nishikori recorded his 35th match win of the year Tuesday to reach the GERRY WEBER OPEN second round. Second seed Nishikori battled hard to beat Dominic Thiem 7-6(4), 6-4, saving three set points in the first set and nine of 10 break points overall. Nishikori took a 2-0 lead, but Thiem broke for 5-5. The Austrian then held three set points when Nishikori served at 5-6, 15/40 and advantage.
Ernests Gulbis set a second-round clash with seven-time Halle champion Roger Federer after defeating Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4, 7-6(3). Gulbis and Federer are 2-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, with the Latvian claiming their most recent meeting last year in the fourth round of Roland Garros.
Former champion Tomas Berdych got off to a strong start on his seventh appearance at the GERRY WEBER OPEN Tuesday. The third seed, a titlist over Marcos Baghdatis in 2007, beat the third oldest player in the draw, 34-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos 7-5, 6-3. Eighth seed Ivo Karlovic, aged 36, pounded down 28 aces past Santiago Giraldo in a 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4 victory, but the draw’s veteran, 37-year-old Tommy Haas, was not so fortunate. In his second tournament, since coming back from shoulder surgery, Haas fell to Andreas Seppi 7-5, 6-2 in 87 minutes.
Results Halle Open Men's Singles First Round Tuesday June 16
5-Tommy Robredo beat Ricardas Berankis 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(1)
3-Tomas Berdych beat Victor Estrella 7-5 6-3
Jerzy Janowicz beat 6-Pablo Cuevas 6-3 6-4
Andreas Seppi beat Tommy Haas 7-5 6-2
Mikhail Kukushkin beat Jiri Vesely 6-1 6-7(7) 7-5
4-Gael Monfils beat Lukas Rosol 6-3 6-4
Ernests Gulbis beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4 7-6(3)
8-Ivo Karlovic beat Santiago Giraldo 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4
2-Kei Nishikori beat Dominic Thiem 7-6(4) 7-5
Steve Johnson beat 7-Bernard Tomic 6-3 7-6(4)
Day 1: Monday June 15
Federer Avoids Upset, Edges Kohlschreiber in Tough First Round Test
atpworldtour.com: June 15 2015 Halle, Germany - Roger Federer prevailed against top German Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(8), 3-6, 7-6(5) in a tricky first-round match between former Gerry Weber Open champions, Monday evening in Halle. In their fourth meeting at this German grass-court tournament, Federer saved two set points in the opening set tie-break before capitalising on his second set point opportunity.
Kohlschreiber countered to take just his second set off the Swiss in nine FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. He saved two match points in the tenth game of the third set and took the mini-break to go up 3-2 in the decisive tie-break, but seven-time champion Federer came back strong, winning the final three points to clinch the victory after two hours and 11 minutes.
One interesting moment in the match came when Federer lost his footing after hitting a serve. He fell to the court but managed to get a racquet on the Kohlschreiber return while sitting on the ground to remain in the point. Federer has reached the final in his past nine appearances at this newly reclassified ATP World Tour 500 tournament. He awaits the winner between Ernests Gulbis and Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round.
Results Halle Open Men's Singles First Round Monday June 15
1-Roger Federer beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(8) 3-6 7-6(5)
Borna Coric beat Donald Young 6-4 3-6 6-3
Alexander Zverev beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-4 6-4
Alejandro Falla beat Lukas Lacko 6-4 3-6 6-1
Dustin Brown beat Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-5 6-2