Roger Federer fends off two match points to defeat Benoit Paire in Halle
Roger Federer has moved into the quarter-finals of Halle, but he had to survive two match-points to do it.
The world number one has won the competition nine times previously but didn’t have it all his own way against a dogged Benoit Paire.
Federer had looked set for an easy afternoon when he took the first set reasonably comfortably at 6-3, but he hadn’t reckoned with Paire’s fightback.
The Frenchman broke Federer twice in the second to take a 4-0 lead before winning the set to level things up.
The deciding set was a lot more evenly contested, going all the way to tiebreak before Federer squeaked through after saving two match points.
He will now face Australian Matthew Ebdon in the last eight after his 4-6 6-1 6-2 upset of Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Meanwhile, Borna Coric overcame Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4 6-2.
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