World no. 3 Roger Federer proved his greatness on grass again in 2019. The Swiss beat David Goffin 7-6, 6-1 in an hour and 23 minutes to lift the tenth crown in Halle and the 102nd on the Tour! Competing at one of his favorite tournaments for the 17th time, Roger advanced to the 13th final.
He went all the way to become the second player in the Open era with at least ten titles at a single ATP event after Rafael Nadal. Playing on clay for the first time in three years, Roger had a great campaign in Paris ahead of Halle.
The Swiss struggled a bit to find the range in the first event on grass but did enough to reach the semis. He ousted Pierre-Hugues Herbert in 62 minutes and gathered momentum ahead of Goffin’s clash. Federer lost 14 points in nine service games, fending off all three break chances and sprinting past David after a tight opener to lift the trophy.
Entering his first ATP final in over a year and a half, the Belgian stayed in touch in the first set and wasted break opportunities in the fifth game. He reached the tie break but lost the ground there, never finding a way to get back into contention.
Roger grabbed three breaks to control the pace in set number two and finish the job in style to complete another successful week in Halle.
Roger Federer claimed the tenth Halle crown in 2019 over David Goffin.
The Swiss had more winners than unforced errors and the upper hand in the shortest range up to four strokes.
He forged his triumph in that segment thanks to booming serves and the first groundstroke or a volley. Federer held at 15 in the first game with a forehand winner, and they both served well until 2-2. Goffin created a massive chance to move in front, but Federer erased all three break points and survived three more deuces to keep the serve intact.
From 30-0 down in game seven, the Swiss won four straight points to avoid the danger and gain a boost. He stayed in touch on the return at 5-4 and moved two points away from the set. Goffin held and set the tie break. Federer opened a 5-2 advantage and sealed the deal with two service winners that gave him a massive boost ahead of set number two.
With no steam left in his legs, David committed a double fault at the beginning of the second set to give serve away. He suffered two more breaks to propel Federer over the finish line and towards the tenth Halle crown.
