Federer extends incredible streak at event where he used to ballboy

Roger Federer has battled into the second round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel, an event that holds a special place in his heart.

Federer had to fight hard to hold off Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic on Tuesday (local time), edging to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win to extend his winning streak to 16 in Basel.

The eight-time champion flirted with his earliest exit in Basel since his 1998 debut as a teenager, but came out on top in a nervy deciding set.

“I was up 6-2, 3-1, it could have ended very quickly,” Federer said. “But I made life more difficult.

“I didn’t have the best serving stats, maybe that caught up to me.

“But these are different balls, more altitude than in Shanghai, it’s about getting used to it.

“And first rounds are always tricky, it’s never a given that you are going to win.”

Millman misses shot at Federer rematch

Earlier, Jan-Lennard Struff ended the possibility of a rematch between Federer and his US Open conqueror John Millman by beating the Australian 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.

Krajinovic appeared to be on the way to a straight-sets loss in his first meeting with the 20-time Grand Slam winner before the momentum began to turn.

Up a set and a break, the Swiss lost serve in the sixth game of the second set before his opponent managed to square the match with a break in game 10.

The top seed went up an early break in the third and broke Krajinovic in an 11-minute game for a 5-2 lead, only to fail to serve out the match at the first time of asking.

But he clinched victory on his second match point to take his career record at the tournament to 67-9 as he bids to reach a 12th successive final at St. Jakobshalle.

“I’m glad I got through. These are the matches you have to win,” said Federer.

“Things didn’t really flow, but it was a hard-fought win. I feel good physically. I have a day off tomorrow so it was no trouble to play three sets.

“I’m happy where I am right now.”

The 37-year-old Federer, who revealed earlier this week that he had been struggling with a hand injury since the grass-court season, last lost at the Swiss Indoors in 2013, going down to Juan Martin del Potro.

His home-town tournament is very sentimental to Federer, and as you can see in the video at the top, he used to be a ballboy there when he was younger.

with agencies