Saturday, July 19, 2025
spot_img

Rusty Federer survives scare at Brisbane

Date:

Share post:

spot_imgspot_img

BRISBANE: Roger Federer was rusty in his season-opening match at the Brisbane International, and it had him in a serious sweat. The 17-time Grand Slam winner held his cool to recover from a set and a break down and beat Australian wild-card entry John Millman 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday. The weather was reasonably mild for subtropical Brisbane, where Federer lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the final last year. It was the hot reception from the No. 153-ranked Millman that troubled him for a while.

”I’m sweating like crazy,” Federer said. ”Under a lot of pressure. I think I got quite lucky in the second set. He was playing great tennis.” It was slow start for the 33-year-old Swiss star, who had a first-round bye. He wasted four break-point chances in an opening game that lasted seven minutes before Millman held. Federer was broken in the 10th game, saving three set points before hitting a swinging forehand volley too long to surrender the first set to Millman, who was getting raucous support from a parochial, hometown crowd.

The top-seeded Federer dropped serve to give Millman a 3-1 lead. But he broke back immediately, setting it up with classic one-handed backhand down the line, and saved three break points in the next game to keep it on serve. That’s when things started to go his way. Federer will face another Australian wild-card entry in the next round, after James Duckworth beat Jarkko Nieminen 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. (Agencies)

spot_imgspot_img

Related articles

Baksho Bondi to open Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Actor Tillotama Shome’s Bengali film Baksho Bondi will serve as the opening at the 2025 edition of the...

Tiger Shroff surprises dad Jackie during Hunter S2 trailer launch

Actor Jackie Shroff received a big surprise during the trailer launch of his forthcoming action series Hunter 2...

‘Meant for global domination’

Bebo wishes PeeCee on her 43rd birthday Actress Kareena Kapoor said ‘You were meant for global domination’ as she...