Berlin (AFP)
Roger Federer, still just physically, gave way on Wednesday in the second round in Halle where he played his first tournament on grass for almost two years, against a young talent, the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, 20 years old.
The 21st in the world, one of the most gifted of the rising class of tennis, won 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 1 h 45 min against the master of the place.
The Swiss, title holder, had won ten times in thirteen finals in the German tournament.
After a blank year marked by two operations on the right knee, Federer tries a perilous return to almost 40 years (he will celebrate them on August 8).
He had not walked a grass court since Wimbledon in July 2019 and his loss to Novak Djokovic in an anthology final in five sets.
Ten days ago at Roland Garros, he gave up playing his round of 16 to keep fresh for the period of the season most favorable to his game. Federer dreams of adding a 21st Grand Slam trophy on his record at Wimbledon, which would allow him to pass alone in front of Rafael Nadal (20) and push Djokovic to two lengths (19) in the race for the record.
At first a little hesitant, the Swiss pulled out all the stops in the first set to save two break points at 3-2 and then to break himself in the next game with a marvelous backhand long line passing.
But the former world No. 1, who has now fallen to 8th place, had also played with fire by saving four break points and only getting one.
Supporting the exchange with more and more difficulty, he gave up his service to the ninth break point from Auger-Aliassime who was released 4 games to 2 before equalizing in one round everywhere.
Federer sank in a final set where the Canadian quickly led 4-0.
"I played really well, almost to perfection," said Auger-Aliassime, who can, after such a performance in the wake of a grass final last Sunday in Stuttgart, harbor legitimate ambitions for Wimbledon.
© 2021 AFP