Roger Federer outlasts Malek Jaziri to enter round two – Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2013
World number two, Roger Federer, made an epic comeback from a set down to outclass the Tunisian wild card entrant, Malek Jaziri, in a three-set thriller at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2013 on Monday. He nudged up a 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 victory against
the Tunis to secure a spot in the second round at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 series event held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Seeded second in this event, Federer showed top notch skills after making a slow start. Battling each other for the first time, the Swiss legend not only edged in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series against Jaziri but also stayed on the right path to defend
his title. He conquered this event in 2003, 04, 05, 07 and last season after trouncing the Olympic gold medallist, Andy Murray.
The 31-year-old was quoted in a courtside interview after bagging the match:
"It important to sort of react and make sure I didn't panic. But, of course your mind starts to wander, especially in a match where there is hardly any rallies. He's going for broke on every return. All you're trying to do is get into some rallies, and you're
missing a lot yourself. It was a difficult match for me out here tonight, but I'm happy I found a way and got a day off now so I can work a little bit on the game. Just maybe the pressure is off a little bit, and then automatically I will play a lot better
in the second round."
Ranked 128th in the Emirates ATP World Tour Rankings, Jaziri comfortably entered the Arabian dirt and swiped his entire serves with poise. He got the breakthrough in the second last game and eventually clicked the opener with a 7-5 win.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion, Federer made a spectacular reply in the proceeding set. He went on a six-game killing spree and pulled out the equaliser with a bagel.
In the deciding set, Federer kept his rhythm and plucked his opening serve. After Jaziri held his serve in the fourth game, the Swiss reeled off last four games and clinched the decider with a 6-2 score line.
Up next for the Swiss Maestro is the winner of an all-Spaniard encounter between Marcel Granollers and Albert Montanes.
Tags: