Roland Garros 2021: Roger Federer vs Dominik Koepfer preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (8) Roger Federer vs Dominik Koepfer

Date: 5 June 2021

Tournament: Roland Garros 2021

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red Clay

Prize Money: €17,171,108

Live telecast: USA – NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK – ITV | India – Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Roger Federer vs Dominik Koepfer preview

Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic in his second-round match on Thursday to book his place in the third round, where he will face Dominik Koepfer.

Federer won 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 and look comfortable on the court for the most part. The 39-year-old did get into a lengthy argument with the chair umpire midway through the second set, which seemingly affected his game for a brief period. But Federer brushed off the incident quickly before resuming his dominance on serve.

The Swiss struck 47 winners to Cilic’s 43, and committed 17 fewer unforced errors than the big-serving Croat. Federer was also a little wasteful though, as he converted just five out of the 16 break points he got. One of the missed break points was particularly costly, as the 39-year-old sent a routine forehand putaway long with Cilic serving at 1-3, 0-40 in the third set.

The former US Open champion won three games in a row from there to edge ahead 4-3 and cause some shivers in Federer’s camp. But the Swiss then won 14 consecutive service points to clinch the set in the tiebreaker.

Federer looked pumped up after getting a two sets to one lead, and he coasted home in the fourth without breaking a sweat.

Dominic Koepfer, meanwhile, beat Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the last 32 at Roland Garros for the first time in his career. The German successfully nullified Fritz’s serve and created 17 break point opportunities, out of which he converted seven.

The 27-year-old, however, would be concerned about the fact that he committed 53 unforced errors – a number he would have to reduce in the match against Federer.

Roger Federer vs Dominik Koepfer head-to-head

Roger Federer and Dominik Koepfer have never played each other on tour, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Roger Federer vs Dominik Koepfer prediction

Dominik Koepfer is the first claycourt specialist that Roger Federer will face at this year’s French Open. Koepfer is adept at tugging his opponents around with his lefty forehand, and he is a good mover himself.

The German is likely to test Federer’s legs on Saturday, something that Istomin and Cilic didn’t do with enough frequency. But Koepfer can also be error-prone on occasion; he is not afraid to go for his shots, which means he is always at risk of giving away free points.

Koepfer will be highly motivated by the prospect of beating Federer, much like every other player in the draw. And if the Swiss’ forehand and serve aren’t accurate enough, he could well find himself under some pressure.

This will likely be Federer’s toughest test so far, especially since Koepfer is a lefty. That said, the 39-year-old’s best level should be enough to get him past the finish line.

Prediction: Roger Federer to win in four sets.

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