HALLE, Germany — Roger Federer got away with a close call in the opening round of his favorite Wimbledon tune-up event, beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (8), 3-6, 7-6 (5) at the Gerry Weber Open on Monday.
Federer is seeking his eighth title in Halle, a grass-court tournament that is traditionally his preparation for Wimbledon, where he will be chasing a record eighth title later this month.
"We were not happy with the draw," the top-seeded Federer said. "He could have won today and would have deserved it. I was lucky, although I'd already been thinking that this may not be my day.