ATP Halle: Roger Federer versus John Millman under different circumstances
Roger Federer will play against John Millman at the start of the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Halle / Westphalia (not before 5:30 p.m., live on Sky Austria). Federer lost a remarkable match against the Australian at the 2018 US Open.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jun 17, 2019, 08:20 pm
It is rare for Roger Federer to show signs of physical weakness. Even if the Swiss no longer feel at the peak of their performance - Federer does not give his opponent any reason to see himself at an advantage. It was different at the beginning of September 2018, for once. The sweltering heat had already caused problems in the day sessions of last year's US Open (even Novak Djokovic had to take a deep breath against Marton Fucsovics), but the evening event against John Millman was a physical test for Roger Federer. That he didn't pass. Millman won in four sets but lost to Novak Djokovic in the round.
However, New York City in late summer is not Halle / Westphalia in June. The significance of the game from last year is really low, especially since Roger Federer enjoys something like home law at the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Halle. And John Millman, when competing against the nine-time champion, is not exactly bursting with confidence. The Australian last lost to Dustin Brown in round one in Stuttgart.
Federer loses to Coric in 2018
Federer arrived in Halle on Saturday and was presented with a cake by tournament director Ralph Weber. It was read on the "Welcome Home". Which is true in several ways, the player hotel is at the end of Roger-Federer-Allee. “It is such a familiar place for me, a piece of home in the tennis world. I always feel very comfortable here, ”said the Swiss grandmaster, who knows Severin Lüthi by his side during the tournament week. Ivan Ljubicic will probably not join the team until Wimbledon.
Roger Federer has 102 tournament victories in his luggage. But not the winner's cup of Halle 2018. Borna Coric was allowed to take it home after a final victory against the home side. A repetition of this final is not possible in the current tournament: Federer and Coric meet, if at all, in the semifinals.