Roger Federer hasn’t been quite himself since that painful Wimbledon final loss to Novak Djokovic. Uncharacteristic defeats to Andrey Rublev in Cincinnati and Alexander Zverev in Shanghai showed his confidence is not fully back yet. But where would be the better place to get the mojo back than in his hometown? A nine-time champion of the event, Federer has been playing great from the get-go. His win over Peter Gojowczyk marked the 110th time that the Swiss won a tour-level match in under an hour. He was perhaps even more flawless demolishing Radu Albot in the second round 6-0, 6-3.
ATP Basel Final Roger Federer vs Alex De Minaur
His countryman and a personal friend, Stan Wawrinka, was supposed the be the first real test. However, the world no. 17 had to pull out due to a back injury sustained in his marathon win over Frances Tiafoe. Federer faced the up-and-coming Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, blowing out the Greek 6-4, 6-4 and producing a whole palette of hot shots. The Swiss has only spent 197 minutes on court this week.
On the other side of the net, waiting will be 20-year-old Alex De Minaur. The Australian has been making strides towards the top of the game this season, including three ATP 250 titles at Sydney, Atlanta and Zhuhai. Sunday’s final will be his second attempt at capturing an ATP 500 championship (runner-up at Washington last year).
De Minaur had to withstand Reilly Opelka’s 26 aces in a three tie-break semifinal to clinch a first meeting against the Swiss. It was the first set he lost all week, following straight-set dismissals of Hugo Dellien, Taylor Fritz and Jan-Lennard Struff.
Does the Australian have anything to hold onto?
Can you pick against Federer at the Swiss Indoors? The 20-time Grand Slam champion has won 55 and lost just 3 matches since the tournament surface was changed to hardcourt back in 2007. In the last fifteen years, his only losses in Basel came to Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro. The Swiss is arguably the best player ever in indoor conditions and with such an engaged crowd behind him, the opponent feels as if he was playing against the whole arena.
However, there are some minor things De Minaur could possibly cling to. The Australian has massively improved aggressive game behind the serve recently. Federer was broken just once this tournament and holding serve will have to be De Minaur’s priority.
The Swiss plays a hyper-aggressive game based on taking time away from the opponent and keeping the points short. This might not come as easy against De Minaur, who might just be the fastest retriever on the tour. By getting everything back, the Australian will put pressure on Federer to look for different ways to finish the point.
Still, the Swiss has a very wide repertoire of shots and should be able to shorten the rallies with his excellent netplay. Federer is a different beast in Basel and if he brings anything near the level he showcased throughout the week, he should be able to complete his second “La Decima”.
Prediction: Federer in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
Disagree with our ATP Basel Final prediction? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
