Federer eyes final Halle Open berth

World number one Roger Federer will aim to book his place in the finals of the ongoing Halle Open, when he squares off with Denis Kudla of America in their last-four clash of the men's singles event here on Saturday.

Yesterday, the Swiss maestro continued his rich vein of form as he crushed his Australian opponent Matthew Abden 7-6, 7-5 in a thrilling semi-final encounter that lasted one hour and 28 minutes.

With this win, Federer extended his winning streak on the grass-court to 19 matches.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion will now continue his quest for ninth Halle Open title when he meets Kudla for a place in the summit showdown later today.

Federer, who recently won his 98th title by defeating his Canadian opponent Milos Raonic in straight sets in the finals of Stuttgart Open, is spending his second consecutive week on the grass court in the build-up to the third major of the season, that is, Wimbledon.

The nine-time Halle Open champion, who recently climbed up to the top ranking for the sixth time in his career, will have to defend the Halle title if he wants to retain the top position.