Federer saves two match points to reach Halle Open quarterfinals
London, June 21: Nick Kyrgios ended Britain’s hopes of a home- grown winner at Queen’s Club as the Australian smashed 32 aces in a 7- 6 ( 7/ 3), 6- 7 ( 5/ 7), 6- 3 victory over Kyle Edmund on Thursday.
Kyrgios had spoiled Andy Murray’s first appearance after 11 months on the sidelines with a hip injury when he beat the five- time Queen's winner in the first round on Tuesday.
Kyrgios will play reigning Queen’s champion Feliciano Lopez for a place in the semi- finals.
Earlier, Stan Wawrinka’s Wimbledon preparations suffered a blow as the Swiss star crashed to a 7- 5, 6- 7 ( 3/ 7), 6- 1 defeat against Sam Querrey.
Wawrinka has struggled to return to peak form since sustaining a left knee injury last year that required two operations and wiped out the second half of the Swiss star’s season. It is a major setback for Wawrinka ahead of the July 2 start of Wimbledon, where he has never made it past the quarter- finals. Querrey will play Croatian top seed Marin Cilic in the last eight. Cilic maintained his mastery over Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, hitting back to win 4- 6, 6- 3, 6- 3 in their latest big- serving battle.
FEDERER REACHES HALLE LAST- EIGHT World number one Roger Federer kept his quest for a 10th Halle grasscourt title alive by saving two match points to defeat France's Benoit Paire 6- 3, 3- 6, 7- 6 ( 9/ 7) to make the quarter- finals on Thursday.
Federer will face Australia's world number 60 Matthew Ebden, who defeated Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 4- 6, 6- 1, 6- 2, for a place in the semi- finals.
Japan’s Yuichi Sugita shocked Dominic Thiem to send the Austrian out in the second round 6- 2, 7- 5.
Third seed Thiem, French Open runner- up to Rafael Nadal earlier this month, was joined on the sidelines of the preWimbledon tuneup by Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori, a 6- 2, 6- 2 loser to Karen Khachanov.