Federer digs deep to beat Istomin at Swiss Indoors in Basel

Swiss Roger Federer came back from a slow start to beat Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel.

Federer, now into the quarter-finals, stands provisional seventh in the field but needs strong showings this week at home and next week at the Paris Masters to ensure his passage into the year-end event which he has won six times.

The 32-year-old advanced in just under two hours, recovering after losing the first set against the Uzbek outsider, then claiming the second to level, the report said. The third set was a true test for the 17-time Grand Slam winner who has had a dismal 2012 season and Federer laid down a marker as he held serve for 1-1 in the final set, winning that eight-minute game after saving four break points.

From then on, the momentum shift was complete for the Swiss favourite, who coasted into the last eight, firing a backhand winner on his first match point.