Roger Federer on Tuesday opened his Gerry Weber Open title defense by seeing off Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia 6-3, 6-4.
The world No. 1 broke No. 72nd-ranked Bedene at the first attempt and again for 5-4 in the second set to wrap up the win.
Fresh from winning his 18th grass-court title in Stuttgart, Germany, on Sunday, Federer dropped just four points on his serve and forced seven break opportunities, taking two.
Federer made his comeback in Stuttgart after skipping the entire clay-court season for the second year in a row, and again he looked sharp as he extended his grass-court winning streak to 17 matches, including his titles at Halle and Wimbledon last year.
The Swiss great is just five match wins away from matching Jimmy Connors’ all-time record of 174 victories on grass. Federer’s winning percentage is better, with 169 wins and 24 loses, compared with Connors’ record of 174-34.
Federer is bidding for a record-extending 10th title in Halle, which would be his fourth of the season and 99th overall.
Two-time finalist Alexander Zverev was upset by Borna Coric 6-1, 6-4.
The second-seeded German wore a bandage after tearing a muscle in his left thigh during his quarter-final run at Roland Garros, and he said the injury was holding him back.
“At first I was afraid that I couldn’t play at all in Halle or Wimbledon,” Zverev said.
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece upset fifth-seeded Lucas Pouille 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), while former title winner Philipp Kohlschreiber progressed against Marton Fucsovics.
There were also first-round wins for Andreas Seppi, Florian Mayer, Matthew Ebden, Karen Khachanov and Benoit Paire.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a