Federer through to quarter-finals

Second-seeded Federer books his place in the last eight of the Halle tournament Keystone

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer is through to the quarter-finals of the ATP Halle tournament in Germany, after defeating David Prinosil.

The Swiss number one beat the German player in an impressive 6-2, 6-4 and will face Russian teenager Mikhail Youzhny in the last eight of the $800,000 tournament.

The 20-year-old, who is chasing his third tournament victory title this season, said he felt he could win the title this year.

“I’m not here to warm up for Wimbledon. I want to win the title here,” Federer said after the match.

“I came close last year, but it was apparently Goran’s (Ivanisevic) year,” the second-seeded Federer said.

Fellow Swiss player Michel Kratochvil lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 against Kenneth Carlsen from Denmark.

In more tennis action in Vienna, Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder had to fight her way through to the quarter finals, with a scrappy three-set victory against Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual.

The Swiss fifth seed took the first set easily 6-1, but lost the next one 4-6. The final set went down to the line, with Schnyder finally winning it in a tiebreak, 7-6.

Schnyder will now face Israel’s Anna Smashnova, who eliminated Geneva’s Emmanuelle Gagliardi in the first round of the Austrian tournament.

swissinfo with agencies