Halle (Germany), London: Roger Federer is through to the final in Halle for the 10th time after beating giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) in Saturday’s semi-final.
The Swiss, who has won the title seven times, will go on to face the winner of the second semi-final between Japan’s world number five Kei Nishikori and Italy’s Andreas Seppi.
World number two and top seed Federer needed two tie-breaks to claim a 13th win in 14 meetings with Karlovic.
The Croat, who stands 2.11m (6ft 11in) tall, had battered down 45 aces in his quarter-final victory against Czech Tomas Berdych on Friday but against Federer he managed a mere 21.
“It is always difficult to play against Ivo but the important thing was that I remained calm,” Federer said.
“I was very lucky in the first set and so I’m all the more delighted to be in the final again.”
Federer is chasing a 15th title on grass as he warms up for Wimbledon, which begins on June 29.
He beat Nishikori in the semi-finals in Halle a year ago while he has only lost once in 12 previous meetings with Seppi, although that came in the third round of this year’s Australian Open.
Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro has pulled out of Wimbledon after having a third operation on his left wrist, organisers said. The former US Open champion, who has only played four matches this year, had surgery in the United States on Thursday.
“Juan Martin Del Potro has withdrawn from the Championships 2015 due to recent wrist surgery,” the All England Club said in a statement. Australian Marinko Matosevic, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2013, replaces him in the singles draw.
