HALLE WESTFALEN (Germany): Defending champion Roger Federer (pictured) reached the semi-finals of the Halle grass-court championships yesterday without appearing on court as quarter-final opponent Lu Yen-huen of Taiwan withdrew through injury.
Lu, who had self-deprecatingly announced that he faced a mission impossible against the Swiss former world number one when he said: “If I’m 150 percent and he’s 100 percent I think I’d still lose”, pulled out with a recurrence of a back problem.
Federer, a six-tine winner of the tournament, now faces Japan’s world number 12 Kei Nishikori, who beat American Steve Johnson 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), for a place in the semi-final.
Earlier, Philipp Kohlschreiber fought his way into the semi-finals by edging past fellow-German Dustin Brown 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (18/16).
Kohlschreiber, who was on the losing end of a five-set marathon against Britain’s Andy Murray at the French Open, prevailed after an epic third set tie-break against world number 85 Brown.
Kohlschreiber, the 2011 champion, now plays 69th-ranked Alejandro Falla for a place in the final after the Colombian overcame another German Peter Gojowczyk 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2).
AFP
