Roger Federer was once quite strong in his stance that he wasn’t going to return to the tour until the crowds were back. It will be interesting to see how he fares in front of no fans in the night session tonight.
I wasn’t impressed with Fed through the first two rounds. 125 players in the draw would have beaten Istomin, and he was a tiebreak away from a 2 set to 1 deficit to Cilic. We haven’t seen the fitness of Federer tested just yet, however we are likely to see it today against Koepfer.
Whilst he isn’t the best player on clay, Koepfer is a tricky opponent and one that can dig in and extend matches over the longer format. His leftie serve is a different look, particularly the slice out wide, which should give him a chance to attack and dictate on the third shot of the rally. He will also be able to extend rallies longer than Federer saw across the first two rounds. With Wimbledon the aim for the Federer camp, and a capable opponent with good court coverage skills across the net, Federer looks too short here.
Happy to back Koepfer at the moneyline for 1.5 units.
Suggested Bet
1.5 units Koepfer to defeat Federer at $3.75 at Bet365
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