Roger Federer enters 17th Basel quarter-final after beating Radu Albot

Roger Federer crushed Radu Albot 6-0, 6-3 on Wednesday, October 23, to win his 22nd match in a row at Swiss Indoors and earn a quarter-final place at his home event for 17th time. nine-time champion was ruthless in a 22-minute opening set, finishing entire job in 63 minutes in front of 9,000 fans.

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'It's a super feeling': Federer

"It's a super feeling to kw exactly where ball is going, what or guy is doing," said top seed Federer.

"I was hitting a lot of winners, those kinds of moments are really rare". Federer's Swiss compatriot Wawrinka fired 10 aces and 30 winners to overwhelm fellow veteran Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-4 to make it into second round, keeping alive his outside chances of making ATP Finals. Federer, who is playing in Basel for 19th time, won his first set to love at tournament since 2006. His loss of just three games on Wednesday was his most powerful showing on ATP since beating Andreas Seppi at Paris Masters 6-1, 6-1 four years ago."I'm very happy, it was important to start second set with a break," said 38-year-old Federer. "Even though I was playing well, I was t over-confident, I was always worried that he might make a comeback."

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Federer's quarter-final opponent

If Wawrinka beats America's Tiafoe in ir second-round match, Swiss pair will clash on Friday in quarters."I hope Stan goes through, I always enjoy playing him," added Federer, who holds a 23-3 edge in series against his close friend."I'm glad that he is back (from double 2017 knee surgeries)." Federer dominated 49th-ranked Albot, sweeping first eight games before Moldovan got on scoreboard.  top seed finished on a first match point after five aces and five service breaks. Wawrinka, who was a runner-up to Andy Murray in Antwerp last weekend, currently stands at 15th in race for season-ending showpiece in London with 1,500 rankings points available between Basel and next week's Paris Masters, final event of regular campaign. Six of eight spots for ATP Finals have already been secured. Wawrinka, 34, ended each set against Uruguay's 45th-ranked Cuevas with aces, breaking once per set to go through to second round in 67 minutes."It was great for a first match," said Wawrinka, who lost just nine points in 10 service games."I moved and served well, I was really focussed. I'm really happy to get through in two sets." seventh seed is playing Basel for 14th time and improved his record at event to 12-13.

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Three-time major winner Wawrinka said his three-set final loss to Murray in Antwerp on Sunday proved useful in Basel."Antwerp really helped me today, I've got confidence in my game, game is re."But he refused to speculate on any London chances: "I'm super-far away, so it's t at all in my mind." Sixth seed David Goffin also stayed in race to London with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic. Goffin entered this week at provisional 10th in race and is duelling with Italy's Matteo Berrettini, who currently stands eighth, and ninth-placed Roberto Bautista Agut. Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania lined up a second-round match with third seed Stefas Tsitsipas after defeating Pablo Andujar 6-1, 6-1. Filip Krajivic will next take on fifth seed Fabio Fognini after going past Serb compatriot Laslo Djere, 6-1, 6-4. Australian Alex De Minaur defeated Taylor Fritz of US 6-3, 6-3 and Switzerland's Henri Laaksonen was put out by Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4. 

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