Six-time Swiss Indoor Open champion Roger Federer rallied from a second-set loss to edge David Goffin 6-3 3-6 6-1 to set up a semifinal against Jack Sock in the home ATP 500 tournament in Basel.
In the first game Federer held his serve with ace. Goffin won the second game on serve for 1-1. The first set went on serve in without break point chances until Federer led 3-2 in the fifth game. Federer got the first break of the match in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead.
Goffin earned two break-back points in the seventh game at deuce but Federer saved them to pull away to 5-2. Federer served out for the first set with 6-3
Goffin got his first break in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead but Federer broke straight back in the next game. Goffin broke serve again to go up 4-2 and backed up the break lead in his service game for 5-2.
Federer won the 8th game for 3-5 but Goffin served out for the second set in the next game. Federer made 14 unforced errors and won just 36 percent of his first serve points in the first two sets.
In the third set Federer went up a break in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead before holding his service game to love for 3-0.
In the fourth game Federer earned two double break-back points but Goffin fended them off. Goffin made an unforced error to hand Federer a double break for 5-1. The Swiss Maestro served out for the match for 6-1.
“I thought I had it under control after the first set but he really lifted. He played the second set much better. I am happy to get through over such a dangerous opponent”, said Federer
Federer will face Jack Sock who fought back from a set down to beat Donald Young 5-7 6-4 6-2. Sock has become the first US player to reach the semifinal in Basel since Andy Roddick in 2010.
Sock went up a double break for 4-1 in the second set but Young drew level to 4-all. Sock bounced back reeling off eight of the next ten games to clinch the win in the third set.
Goffin started playing tennis at the age of six. He was taught by his father Michel who is a tennis coach at the Barchon Club in Liege. Federer was Goffin’s idol. “When I was young I had a lot of pictures of Federer in my bedroom”, said Goffin.
Goffin grabbed the headlines during the 2012 Roland Garros when he became the first lucky loser to reach the fourth round in a Grand Slam tournament. In the French capital the Belgian player won a set against Federer before losing the match in four sets. Federer beat Goffin 6-2 6-2 in the final of the Basel tournament last year. Goffin will play for Belgium in next month’s Davis Cup Final against Great Britain in Ghent.
In another quarter final Richard Gasquet battled past Ivo Karlovic 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (8-6) setting up a semifinal against Rafa Nadal. Gasquet broke serve in the third game of the opening set en route to winning the first set with 6-4. This would be the only break of the entire match. Karlovic reeled off seven consecutive points to win the second-set tie-break with 7-2.
Karlovic led 6-5 in the third-set tie-break but Gasquet saved a match point. Gasquet won the the decider on his first match point for 8-6 sealing his berth in the semifinal where he will face Rafa Nadal.
