TENNIS | Federer starts on grass with victory against Ivashka

Roger Federer, focused this year on being one hundred percent at Wimbledon (since June 28), started his path on grass with a victory over Ilya Ivashka in Halle by 7-6 (4) and 7-5 in 1h: 36. In the flirtatious German ATP 500, in the city where they have even named a street with his name and he has been champion ten times, the 39-year-old Swiss aims to find the necessary point to qualify for a ninth Wimbledon and get into the fight again to finish as the best tennis player in history. He and Rafa Nadal draw at 20 Grand Slams and Novak Djokovic tightens with 19 … but his last success in a big one was Australia 2018.

Federer has only played three tournaments this year after undergoing a double operation on his right knee in 2020. The last was Roland Garros, where he retired before playing the round of 16 For caution. In his debut in Halle he went from less to more against the 27-year-old and 90º Belarusian, who came with filming of the previous one. The Swiss showed that he still lacks adjustment (23 winners and 26 unforced errors), but he solved the ballot calmly. In the round of 16 he will face Felix Auger-Aliassime or Hubert Hurkacz.

Bautista says goodbye to Korda

The one who does not follow in the tournament is the Spanish Roberto Bautista, sixth seed, who could not with the American Sebastian Korda (6-3 and 7-6). In an appointment in which he had reaped good performances such as the quarters of 2019 or the semifinals in 2018, the Castellón this time said goodbye in the first match on a surface, the grass, which he had not stepped on since the semifinals of Wimbledon 2019, when he fell against Novak Djokovic.