Roger Federer has beaten Florian Mayer for an eighth time without a loss to knock the defending champion out of Germany’s Halle Open in the quarter-finals 6-3 6-4.
The Swiss top seed, bidding for an historic ninth title at the grass venue whose stadium and ground are styled after Wimbledon, needed four match points over two games to advance to the final four on Friday, securing victory through a forehand winner after 66 minutes.
Federer continued his career-long dominance over 134th-ranked Mayer, winning 17 of their 18 sets.
The 35-year-old, with three major titles in his pocket from the first quarter of the year, was playing his 15th quarter-final at one of his favourite venues where is overall record stands at 57-6.
“I as very calm out there, even in difficult moments. I was calm serving out the first and second sets. Those are always signs for me that things are slowly starting to fall into place nicely,” Federer said.
“It was important to be aggressive off the baseline and make him feel my variation and the power I can bring to the court.”
“And then having good footwork, to see the short ball, the floater, which I can come in and knock off with a volley. I think I did it very well.
“I had lots of chances to even go up a double break in the second set.”
Federer is quickly finding rhythm on grass after a loss last week in Stuttgart to Tommy Haas.
He is competing in only his second event since giving the entire clay season a miss in a strategic move to concentrate his efforts on a possible eighth Wimbledon title.
Federer wasted set points in the first as Mayer won a nine-minute eighth game, saving both chances and holding serve with a pair of aces.
Federer then claimed the opener a game later with an ace.
He broke for 3-2 in the second set but was thwarted on three break chances against Mayer as the German stayed in touch.
Federer fired his 11th ace for a 5-3 and was unable to convert on three match points in the next game, with Mayer saving them all.
But the 18-time grand slam winner finally prevailed a game later with a forehand winner on his fourth match point.
Federer will play next against Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat compatriot and fellow young gun Andrey Rublev 7-6 (6-8) 4-6 6-3.
Khachanov, 21, also played 2017 quarter-finals in Barcelona and Lyon, while the 19-year-old Rublev will crack the top 100 next week in a rise from 106.
At the bottom of the draw, Frenchman Richard Gasquet beat Robin Haase 6-1 3-6 6-1.
Gasquet will play his first Halle semi-final since 2013 against either German fourth seed Alexander Zverev or Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
