Roger Federer Beats Peter Gojowczyk in Straight Sets to Advance at Indian Wells
March 10, 2019
Roger Federer advanced to the third round of the 2019 Indian Wells Masters after a straight-sets win over Germany's Peter Gojowczyk in California on Sunday.
The five-time champion triumphed 6-1, 7-5, to set up a potential meeting with fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in the round of 32. The latter is in action against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics later Sunday evening.
Federer took the first game comfortably on serve, then broke decisively from deuce to pad his early lead. It was 3-0 when Federer built a 0-30 lead to help snatch another break point and swing the set firmly away from Gojowczyk.
It resembled a mismatch as Federer made ruthlessly and quick work of the opening set.
The 37-year-old was proving typically strong on serve:
Things became closer as both players held serve early in the second, allowing Gojowczykto build a 2-1 lead. It was 4-3 to the German when Federer began to reassert himself.
He started to exercise the full range of his shots. Federer hit some sweet forehand volleys from the baseline, before snatching a key point with a deft backhand stroke at the net.
Even so, it was Gojowczyk who pushed for a second break point and a 5-3 lead. Federer held firm, though, to even the set.
Both players protected their serve to maintain the stalemate at 5-5. A break was needed, and typically, Federer was the one to get it, giving himself the chance to serve out the match.
He blasted his way into position to seize one of two match points, taking the first to ease his way through. Being pushed late on should help prepare the decorated veteran for the tougher tests which lie ahead if he's going to win a sixth title.