Roger Federer was able to survive a scare Tuesday, at the beginning of his quest for a ninth title in The Championships, Wimbledon.
After slipping behind the baseline, the Swiss star fought back against Adrian Mannarino. The Frenchman retired at set five, unable to place any weight on his right leg.
After two hours and 44 minutes of play, Federer was at level with Mannarino at 6-4.
Mannarino fell at 2-4 in the fourth match, Federer serving at 15 and Mannarino needed on-court treatment due to a right knee problem. Mannarino tried to continue, but Federer called it quits at the beginning of the fifth set.
Federer said, "It's terrible," in an interview on court. It shows how one shot can make all the difference in a match, season, or career. I wish him the best, and I hope that he quickly recovers so we can see him back on court. He could have won at the end. He was clearly the better player so I definitely got lucky.
"You don’t get many walkovers in your career, and you also try not to have it happen. It is a reminder of how fast it all goes. However, I am happy that I have another chance to play here. I was very dedicated and enjoyed my time out here today. It was great fun right up to the end.
Federer improved to a match record of 102-13 at the All England Club and will now challenge France's Richard Gasquet.
Federer won 22 of 26 service points and finished the set with a backhand win. Mannarino's unorthodox game meant that Federer never allowed Mannarino to settle into his match rhythm.
Mannarino took a 6-1 lead in the second set tiebreak thanks to four straight forehand errors by Federer. Soon, Mannarino was the World No. In the third set, 41 was within two points of a 3-0 advantage. Federer had only eight matches this year and was just entering The Championships. However, he did well to respond. In the sixth game, Federer's serve was broken to love.
Mannarino took a two-sets to one lead with his forehand volley winner. However, Federer turned around after he saved a break point during the first game of the fourth set. Federer won 11 of 12 points by hitting his spots on serve to take a 3-0 lead.
Federer said, "I tried to reduce the length of points slightly." Federer said, "I think he found a nice groove at the baseline. That shovel backhand is what made him famous. He causes a lot of problems for many players, and he did it again today on the grass in my face. So I tried to reduce the number of points.
It worked well and I was able, after I got the break, to loosen up a bit before everything ended. It was a match that was very competitive. Both of us were trying to find out who could enjoy baseline a bit more than the others. However, I felt that I had to adjust my game more than him. That was his fault.
Date Of Update: 29 June 2021, 18:05
