Tsitsipas Advances To Federer Battle In Basel SF

Stefanos Tsitsipas set up a salivating showdown Saturday against Swiss great Roger Federer in the Basel semifinals. The Greek advanced to the last four with a comeback 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Filip Krajinovic.

After trading breaks early in the third, Tsitsipas took hold of the final breaking at 3-all.

Tsitsipas goes into the match against Federer having won 10 of his last 12, and of course stunned Federer at the Australian Open in January.

The 9-time Basel champion Federer enjoyed a day off Friday after his quarterfinal opponent Stan Wawrinka withdrew a day earlier.

“Roger understands the game very well, his serve is one of his biggest weapons and his movement and coverage help him,” Tsitsipas said.

Reilly Opelka will meet Alex De Minaur in the other semifinals. Behind 31 aces, Opelka ousted No. 4 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

“I definitely served a lot better today. That court against Roberto, I played him in China, is not an easy one to play him on,” Opelka said. “That day the court was really fast and it was a little chilly out, so it felt pretty much impossible for me to beat him there. Similar today, honestly. If I didn’t make my first serve, [I] didn’t win the point. So he’s a nightmare.”

De Minaur handled Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 7-6(4).