Federer ousts Tsitsipas in Basel semis for 50th win of the season

Top seed Roger Federer dispatched Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors championships in Basel on Saturday for his 50th win of the season.

It was a record 16th time that Federer had won 50 ATP tour games in a season and he has yet to drop a set at this year’s Basel tournament, where he has now won 23 consecutive matches over the years.

The 38-year-old will be looking to win his 10th title in his hometown when he faces unseeded Australian Alex de Minaur in Sunday’s final — the 157th tour-level final of his career.

The Swiss former world number one did not drop serve — with high win percentages on his first (80%) and second serve (85%) — and he broke the 21-year-old Tsitsipas twice in the 78-minute contest.

Federer, who had 28 winners, was also a constant threat when he approached the net, winning nine of 10 net points in the opening set alone.

Earlier, De Minaur beat big-serving American Reilly Opelka 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 7-6(3) in the first semi-final, where break points were in short supply.

Both players dropped serve only once in a match that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours.

Despite Opelka firing 26 aces to De Minaur’s 14, it was the 20-year-old Australian who prevailed in the tiebreaks to advance to his sixth ATP tour final and his fourth of the year, having already won titles in Sydney, Atlanta and Zhuhai.

Thiem outlasts Berrettini to reach first Vienna final

Top seed Dominic Thiem came back from a set down to earn a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini on Saturday to advance to his first Vienna Open final.

With the home crowd behind Thiem at the Wiener Stadthalle, the 26-year-old broke Berrettini five times in the contest and became the first Austrian to reach the tournament’s final since Juergen Melzer beat compatriot Andreas Haider-Maurer in 2010.

“I’ve never experienced such a great atmosphere here,” Thiem said. “It was full from the first point on, such a loud atmosphere as well.

“It was perfect to play in and the match was on a very high level from the first to the last point. With all the support and home advantage, I was able to pull through.”

“I’ve never experienced such a great atmosphere here,” Thiem said. “It was full from the first point on, such a loud atmosphere as well.

“It was perfect to play in and the match was on a very high level from the first to the last point. With all the support and home advantage, I was able to pull through.”

No player has won more matches than Thiem when play goes to a deciding set this season (11 wins) and the victory also ended Berrettini’s streak of 28 wins when he had taken the opening set.

Thiem will now play Argentina’s fifth seed Diego Schwartzman who beat French fourth seed Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 in the other semi-final.

“I am very confident now,” Thiem added. It was a tough match mentally and physically... There is going to be an amazing energy again tomorrow.”