The nine-time champion in Halle, Roger Federer faced the Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the round-of-16 match of Halle Open 2019. It was their 18th career meeting on the ATP Tour. Roger Federer survived the pre-quarterfinal match in Halle with a 7-6(7-5), 4-6, 7-5 victory over Tsonga. 

The match experienced a nervy opener with both the European men clinging on to their service games and took the set to tiebreaker. Roger Federer was little wobbly at the beginning of the tiebreaker but by using his astuteness in tennis he wrapped up the set 7-6(7-5).  

In the second set, Roger Federer took out his rage in the opening game as he couldn’t convert any break points in the previous set. He held the break of serve in the first game with a down the line forehand winner and placed Tsonga in a dilemma. 

Nevertheless, the Frenchman rebounded in the match from his break down situation and later at 5-4 converted the next breakpoint and pulled off the set 6-4.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga maintained his trail of winning nine consecutive points in the decider and was quick with his service games. The final set was followed by quality tennis from both Roger Federer and Tsonga and the Swiss squandered a few break opportunities. World Number 77, Tsonga was pliant in the third set and set up an entertaining showdown in the Halle battle. 

And finally, at 5-5 Roger Federer encountered three break opportunities with his effortless single-hand backhand and that move decided the outcome of the match.

The top seed Swiss converted one of them and later closed out the match with an ace and progressed into the 17th Halle quarter-final in his last 17 appearances.

Roger Federer will next meet the Spaniard, Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals of Halle Open 2019. Bautista knocked down Richard Gasquet in straight sets in his previous round.