TIL Desk Sports/ Roger Federer reached the Basel quarter-finals for the 15th time when he steamrolled Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-3 as the top seed stepped up his campaign for an eighth Swiss Indoors title.
Federer defeated Paire for the fifth time without a loss, mowing down the challenger in just 57 minutes in front of a sympathetic audience at the St Jakobshalle yesterday.
The 36-year-old Federer, winner of his last event in Shanghai this month, is seeking an ATP-leading seventh trophy this season as he aims for the weekend final in his hometown.”I’m happy with how it went, I’m always ready for a tougher one,” Federer said. “I got a good start, got rolling.
“I was able to put more pressure on him than him on me. I’ve had a good two first rounds. I thought the draw looked tough with (Francis) Tiafoe and Paire in my section. I’m a little surprised, to be honest.”It’s not easy to win 1 and 3 indoors, this was a great start.”