7:6(4), 7:5 – all's well that ends well. But such an opening match against a qualifier is probably quite unusual for the 103-times tournament winner Roger Federer. In the first round at the 28. NOVENTI OPEN he wasn’t able to get one point in any of the first returns against Belarusian Ilya Ivashka. The giant measuring 1,93m on the other side of the net just didn’t allow anything.
The long break due to injury and the missing match practice was apparent on Federer’s side. In order to give his knee a break for the grass season, he had retired after winning his third-round match at the French Open against Dominik Koepfer. It at first seemed a little too fast for the Swiss at the OWL-Arena. Ivashka really beat every ball without mercy. Afraid of the all-time most successful player on grass? Not the 27-year-old!
And Federer? In the second service game the ten-times winner at Halle already faced two break chances, however, he fended them off. Overall, he had issues with his backhand. He wasn’t able to place his shot even from a good position. Shaking of head by Federer. The eight-times Wimbledon winner was only able to score two points against Ivashkas service up until the tiebreak – trying 26 times. The Belarusian hadn’t been perceived as a grass expert so far, has only won two of his four matches on grass so far during the tour.
But, suddenly, in the tiebreak the favourite’s routine set in, taking the lead quickly 6:1 and bringing it home with an elegant forehand volley 7:4. In the 2. Set, too, Federer didn’t have much to put against Ivaskas service, then, however, got used to the high speed of the duels from the baseline. Out of the blue came a match point at 5:4 – with the first break ball for the Swiss player. But Ivashka parried per volley. At 6:5 another three match points followed. Pressure on Ivashka was seemly becoming too high. A fault by the Belarussian ended the match.
Roger Federer is through to the round of 16 at the NOVENTI OPEN. What else, though? He has never faltered in the first round at Halle, even though he has played here since 2000. "First round matches in Halle are always difficult," Federer said later: "You have to find your rythm which is not easy against big servers like him." He had stayed calm during the first set, Federer said. "I tried to read his first serve better". Eventually, Federer is glad "to be back an grass after two years".
