HALLE, June 20, 2015
The two top seeds were joined by the tournament’s number eight as well as one unseeded player on semi-finals Saturday at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.
In front of 11,500 spectators world number two Roger Federer beat eighth seed Ivo Karlovic a 13th time in their 14th tour meeting, winning 7-6, 7-6 . In one hour and 28 minutes, the Swiss couldn’t gain one single break point opportunity, as the Croat was hitting 20 aces.
“In the first set, I practically didn’t see anything of his serve. But I absolutely wanted to stay calm and it worked,” Federer told afterwards. “We have already played so many tie-breaks against each other, that I knew, it would be mentally tough today.”
Federer will meet Andreas Seppi in Sunday’s final, who reached this stage in Halle for the first time. The man from South Tyrol advanced to the semi-finals, when his opponent Gael Monfils was forced to retire due to an adductor strain. In the semis, Seppi profited again from a retirement of his opponent. Second seed Kei Nishikori had problems warming up stage onwards and his left calf was taped already. Being 1-4 down, the Japanese came to conclusion to give up.
“I felt it yesterday during the match and I fought through yesterday, but today there was a little pain this morning and I tried in the match, but I couldn’t really move,” said Nishikori. “It just came suddenly yesterday. So there is nothing I could do and it’s very unfortunate.”
“I am sorry for Kei. I wish him a speedy recovery,” told Seppi afterwards. “To win like this is not the best way. And it’s not easy to concentrate on your game when you know that your opponent is not well.”
Federer leads 11-1 in head to head records against the Italian, but Seppi won his first and only match against the Swiss at the Australian Open this year.
