06/18/19 01:14:00
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06/18 13:12 CDT Federer off to winning start in bid for 10th Halle title
Federer off to winning start in bid for 10th Halle title
HALLE, Germany (AP) --- Roger Federer began his bid for a record-extending 10th
Halle Open title with a 7-6 (1), 6-3 win over Australia's John Millman on
Tuesday, with defending champion Borna Coric also advancing.
Federer, who lost to Coric in last year's final, hit nine aces and saved the
only break point he faced to beat Millman in 1 hour, 17 minutes.
Federer next faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who defeated French compatriot Benoit
Paire 6-4, 7-5 at the grass-court tournament.
Federer already has the best grass-court record in the Open era with 18 titles,
and the 37-year-old can set a personal record with his 10th at a single event
in Halle.
Federer and Tsonga played only once before on grass, with the French player
coming from two sets down to win at Wimbledon in 2011.
The fourth-seeded Coric defeated Spain's Jaume Munar 7-6 (2), 6-3 and will next
face Portuguese qualifier Joao Sousa in the second round.
Italy's Matteo Berrettini, who won the Stuttgart Open on Sunday, defeated
Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-4 for a second-round meeting with compatriot
Andreas Seppi.
Seppi beat Mats Moraing 6-4 (7), 6-4.
Other winners Tuesday included Roberto Bautista Agut, David Goffin, Richard
Gasquet, Sergiy Stakhovsky and Jan-Lennard Struff.
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