Roger Federer rallies past Florian Mayer to reach semis – Bet at home Open 2013
Former World number one, Roger Federer, got the better of the local challenger, Florian Mayer, in a three-set thriller at the Bet at home Open German Tennis Championships 2013 on Friday. He summed up a 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-5 victory against the 29-year-old to
secure a place in the semi-finals at this outdoor clay court event taking place in Hamburg, Germany.
The top seed lost his track in the second set and levelled the set scores. However, he re-ignited his spark in the end and consequently earned the glory. With this triumph, Federer not only improved to 5-0 lifetime in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series against
the German but also inched closer towards the crown.
The Swiss Maestro commented in a courtside interview after stealing the show, “It was extremely difficult. I started really well. I thought we were both hitting the ball well in the first set and not giving each other that many chances. It went down to the
wire. I'm happy I played a good tie-break. I should have been up early with a break in the second set; he got me there. It was a bit of a rollercoaster till the very end of the match. Just had to tough it out. I have to say that I really enjoyed the match.
It was a tough match and Florian fought hard.”
In the opening set both contestants played cautiously. Federer smoothly held his entire serves but failed to cash any break opportunity. The set went to a tie-breaker where the Swiss edged past Mayer and subsequently pulled out the opener with a 7-6(4) score
line.
Ranked 45th in the Emirates Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Mayer turned the tables on the Swiss star in the following set. He reeled off five straight games to leap to a 5-1 lead. Despite failing to serve out the match in the eighth game, the local challenger
availed another break chance in the very next game and grabbed the equalizer by winning six games to three.
The world number five, Federer, re-gained his momentum in the deciding set. He got the coveted break in the third game and took the initial lead. Regardless of losing his edge in the very next game, the Swiss broke again to jump to a 4-2 lead. He levelled
the scores at 4-4 but stayed focused, eventually getting the breakthrough in the 11th game.
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