Eight-time champion Federer to face Zverev

Kvitova reaches 1st grass final since Wimbledon 2014

HALLE, Germany, June 24, (Agencies): Top seed Roger Federer will challenge for a ninth Halle Open title against Alexander Zverev after reaching the Wimbledon warm-up event final with a 6-4 7-6(5) win over rising Russian talent Karen Khachanov on Saturday.

The 18-times grand-slam champion, who captured the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami titles this year, skipped the entire claycourt season to improve his chances of winning a record eighth title at the All England Club.

He will now face 20-year-old Zverev in a rematch of last year’s semi-final, which the German won. Zverev booked his second successive final spot when he beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 4-6 6-4 6-3.

Gasquet, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, grabbed the first set against Zverev with a break at 5-4.

But he quickly fell behind in the second as Zverev, a finalist last year, who has already won three titles in 2017, charged to a 4-2 lead and held on to take the set.

The world number 12 booked his final spot after breaking at 3-3 and finishing the Frenchman off with another break to set up the showdown with Federer.

Despite a shock exit from Stuttgart on his comeback last week, Federer has improved in Halle and has not lost a set.

“I thought it was extremely close, especially that second set,” Federer, who has never won a tournament nine times, told reporters.

“I’m still just very happy how I was able to close it out in the (tie-)breaker,” said the 35-year-old.

He and Khachanov, 21, traded breaks in the first two games but Federer grabbed a second one to restore his advantage and clinch the first set on his second set point.

The Swiss lured the youngster to the net on several occasions, including at 4-4 in the second set when the Russian

Croatia’s Marin Cilic celebrates winning his men’s singles semifinal tennis match against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller at the ATP Aegon Championships tennis tournament at Queen’s Club in west London on

June 24. (AFP)

SOCHI, Russia, June 24, (AFP): Joachim Loew can maintain his proud decade-long record of steering Germany to the semifinals at major tournaments with a draw against Cameroon on Sunday enough to reach the last four of the Confederations Cup.

Since Loew took charge as head coach after Germany finished third at the 2006 World Cup on home soil, the team has always reached the semifinals at either European championships or World Cup finals.

The world champions take on Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions at Sochi’s Fisht Stadium on Sunday while Chile play Australia in Moscow in the final round of Group B games. Germany are second to Chile in the table only by a single goal with both teams on four points while Cameroon a n d Australia have a point each.

While Germany need a point in Sochi, Cameroon must win by two clear goals to progress.

“A draw would be enough for us to go through, but it would be good to win the group so we’d play our semifinal in Sochi,” said Loew. “I’m planning a few changes in a position or two, some will get a break to allow fresh faces to come in.”

Germany have won two of

Loew