Federer Sails Past Paire into Basel Quarter Finals
Easy pickings for the Swiss Maestro in Basel as he swept aside Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-3 in 57 minutes to move into the Quarter Finals. The Frenchman entered the tie having never won a set against the seven-time champion and he didn’t come any closer tonight, winning just four games and not creating a single break point opportunity.
As for Federer it was the fifteenth time he’s made it into the Quarter Finals at the Swiss Indoors and he did so in routine fashion, coming through a lengthy opening service game and breaking Paire four times in the match to book his spot in the last eight.
Quick Match Recap
Paire won the toss and elected to receive. The Frenchman was able to make deuce on the Federer serve but Roger held and then immediately broke for 2-0. The break was consolidated for 3-0 and although Paire held his next service game, that was the last time he troubled the scoreboard in the set as Roger ran away with it 6-1.
Into set two and Paire had the trainer out for a back issue after which he seemed to serve slightly better, holding for 1-0 and saving three break points to hold for 2-1. The pair then traded love holds as Roger levelled things up at three all but Paire’s resistance ended as he was broken to love in game seven. Fed consolidated the break for 5-3 after a deuce game and then broke for the second time in the set to take it 6-3 in 57 minutes.
Match Stats
| Roger Federer | Benoit Paire | |
| Aces | 2 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 2 |
| 1st Serve | 61%(34/56) | 57%(28/49) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 71%(24/34) | 64%(18/28) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 64%(14/22) | 33%(7/21) |
| Break Points Saved | 0%(0/0) | 56%(5/9) |
| Service Games Played | 8 | 8 |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won | 36%(10/28) | 29%(10/34) |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won | 67%(14/21) | 36%(8/22) |
| Break Points Converted | 44%(4/9) | 0%(0/0) |
| Return Games Played | 8 | 8 |
| Winners | 15 | 12 |
| Unforced Errors | 15 | 17 |
| Net Points Won | 64% (14/22) | 78% (7/9) |
| Service Points Won | 68%(38/56) | 51%(25/49) |
| Return Points Won | 49%(24/49) | 32%(18/56) |
| Return Points Won | 59%(62/105) | 41%(43/105) |
| SABR | 0 | 0 |
Highlights
Thoughts on the Match
Straightforward win this one against a mercurial type opponent. Paire looked disinterested after dropping serve early and the result was never really in doubt. The Frenchman played some ok stuff in patches but his forehand is a liability and he never looked like a winner out there. Like I said in my preview it was unlikely Roger would match the level against Tiafoe and that’s partly due to the opponent; one minute he was injured, the next he was trying to play midcourt tweeners down love thirty so he’s not easy to play against in that regard.
Despite that Fed did a stellar enough job, a few errors but he didn’t drop serve or face a single break point so it was never really a contest. So really just about getting the job done with zero fuss which was mission accomplished; not the best viewing when one guy is going through the motions but he’s into the Quarters without breaking a sweat and that bodes well for the business end of the tournament.
Predictions vs. Mannarino
Next up is Mannarino who defeated Shapovalov in three sets. I caught most of it and after playing a great first set the young gun came a cropper to Mannarino’s style of play. The Frenchman has no real weapons but he’s so good at moving the ball around the court and working angles. He also defended superbly and Shapovalov kept bailing out of rallies by simply going for too much.
Roger leads the H2H 4-0 and Mannarino is yet to win a set. They’ve played in Basel before too in 2013 when Fed lost just 5 games so I think Fed comes through this one comfortably. Mannarino is arguably a slightly better player since they last played and he’s had a good season but I just cannot see where he will bag enough cheap points to make it competitive. Fed in straights.
First?
?
1st podium finish ::)
Good match. Very clinical. Serving could be better. Otherwise overall solid
🙂 🙂 🙂
Routine win. Paire is the sort of player whose head too often drifts away from the match he’s supposed to play. That alone is a test to the focus of the guy on the other side if the net. It’s not easy to play well all the time against such opponents.
Yeah he’s all over the shop, good backhand and serve but his forehand is like mine 😀
Thanks for the quick summary, always go to you first. Looks like Roger is in good form.
Thanks, yeah he’s been looking great since USO. Movement back.
Fast win, quick post! At times Rog was almost playing too fast, hence the increased errors from 1st match. Paire was never going to threaten so up to Rog to dictate. Great movement tonight and clearly full of energy as he himself said afterwards!
So Adrian. Many ppl thought Denis wld come thru but Mannarino has other ideas, and outwitted him altho Denis looked weary at the end. Rog needs his wits about him. Adrian is a tricky leftie enjoying his best season to date. Rog to come thru but tighter than today.
Allez!
So. I wondered at the W/UE ratio being at 1. Is there anything to read into the only 2 aces in the match?
Yeah Mannarino is good, works the court well. Defends well. His shots look like they have nothing on them but he’s very good at putting the ball in the right area. I think he will be tired and just unable to handle Fed’s game from the baseline.
@Alison – Aces stat is down because Paire returned like Nadal, was basically in the crowd, so he got his frame on a lot of balls that were otherwise aces.
Well! As I said! I await Jonathan’s report!
The season is building heavily upon many players’ legs. Thiem ran completely out of gas against Rick the Gasket in Vienna. He could not land 2 forehands in a row if the future of planet Earth depended on it…
As for Mannarino, now that will be an interesting match. He has been playing a very sharp game for the last weeks so this one will be tough. I see him pushing Feds to at least one tie break.
Ah just seen Gasquet won. I stopped checking scores when Thiem won the first set, he’s had a poor second half of the season, maybe he should become a clay court specialist and skip the rest 😀
Sorry guys what determines the return rating? Never seen that before
That’s just my error, I get the stats from ATP and I left that in by mistake, was rushing through this and not checking too well. It’s a new stat they provide, dunno how it’s calculated to produce an overall rating.
Roger didnt play his best but manage to get it done within 1 hour. Next up a tricky lefty, hope for a good match and please keep it within 1 hr 🙂
Brutal 1am starts. But hey it’s Friday, you can sleep in Saturday surely?
Yes, can chill and enjoy Roger 🙂
Too bad it’s not Shapo next. I think I hate Delpo just as much now as in 2009. Seems like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Good Rog…bearderer with Mirka in the house?
Would have been good to see but I actually think Mannarino will give him more of a game. If you look at how early Fed takes the ball I think it’s a nightmare for Shapo, Mannarino rushed him and he’s not a heavy hitter.
Del Po now polarising Fed fans, used to be universally loved?!
Didn’t see the Shapo Mannarino match. Fed Paire was quite strange. I tried for years to like Delpo and to be like other Fed fans , but it just didn’t happen.
Disregarding correct pronunciations – Paire got Raiped
No offence meant to anybody – just harmless wordplay and ‘locker-room talk’
Paire impaired himself.
How to core a Paire?
Not at all the kind of match I expected, it was all a bit manic. Roger in a big hurry to get things done maybe the
cold that they say he has is a factor, and I hope he keeping his best serving for matches to come! His next
opponent I think is a much underrated player who on his day plays really well so C’mon Rog be lucky x
Yup we all knew Mannarino wld be tricky!and he was!
Tricky, French and ultimately defeated thankfully!
I had a view coming in that this was a potential banana skin. Thankfully avoided
Ppl underestimate Adrian. V fast around the court, flat quick hit. Once Rog mixed up the pace things got better. Didn’t like the slice as much or being pinned back with high top spin