2017 Tournament Interviews

 
Fresh Federer puts grass top of his agenda

Seven-time champion sacrificed clay court season to maximise his chances of winning Wimbledon  


By Dan Imhoff - Saturday, 1 July 2017 18:26 PM BST

Skipping half a season to heal and rejuvenate a tour-weary body is not a decision any athlete takes lightly in the latter stages of their career.


Given his injury-marred exit in the semi-finals of last year’s Championships, even Roger Federer’s most ardent believers felt the writing may have been on the wall for the 35-year-old.

It had been four years since his last Grand Slam triumph. What a defiant and unexpected resurgence 2017 has proven to be.

An 18th Grand Slam title Down Under was a bolt from the blue; a surprise even to the No.17 seed.

More fearless aggression and a newfound belief when the chips were down against his greatest tormentor over the years, Rafael Nadal, were evident in a five-set final.

His dominance over the Spaniard on hard courts extended to Indian Wells and Miami where further titles ensued. So it came as little wonder the astute Swiss opted to sit out the entire clay court swing.






Federer, instead, was planning an “epic” second half to the season on surfaces where his abilities are maximised.

“I think at the end of the day that was the decision for me … no compromise really,” Federer said. “Gave myself the best chance for the grass, so I would never look back and have regrets once I came here.

“I was ready to play in Paris. I just didn't feel ready to go yet, to come back in Madrid or Rome.


“I just felt like, you know what, anything other than winning there feels like I'm not giving myself the best chance for Wimbledon.

“We all felt the same way, that it's better to save myself and give it all I have for the rest of the season, not just the grass court season, but looking beyond that, too, all the way to the American summer, staying on a fast court tennis sort of mindset.”


Milos Raonic ended Federer’s run in the semi-finals last year and the pair could again meet in the quarter-finals this year.
Ever the svelte mover on court, when Federer fell to his knee attempting to make a volley in his match against the Canadian, his body was sending him a clear message. It would be his last match of the season.

“My knee was bad the entire grass court season,” Federer said. “The fall just really scared me. Maybe I wasn't able to move properly. Maybe I would have been broken anyway. Even if it's a totally healthy knee, there's no deciding I'm going to break Milos [Raonic].

“Very quickly the [decision] was to have at least sort of four months [off]. If we wanted to get full healing and full strength back, unfortunately that's what it was going to take. Soon after we went down that route. Thank God, no regrets there.”

An early defeat against good friend, veteran Tommy Haas, in Stuttgart leading in was no cause for alarm. He romped to a record ninth title in Halle, completely dismantling young gun Alexander Zverev for the loss of just four games in the final. The match was even more lop-sided than the scoreline suggested.

Still Federer regarded the German among the five best players under 30 capable of shaking up the Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka Grand Slam dominance of the past decade.

“I think that Zverev and Nick Kyrgios have shown what they can do, how good they can be,” Federer said. “You know, the likes of Raonic and Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov, I think, are in a good spot right now where, you know, they can go very deep and nobody would really be surprised.

“Away from those five players, I'm not sure how deep we're talking about. Are we talking about winning Wimbledon? That's going to be obviously a long shot.”

The same could have been said of Federer’s future Wimbledon chances after last year’s departure. 
What a game-changer 2017 has been.  

Short match for @rogerfederer Great start thru 2 next round #restwell pic.twitter.com/6GvNtBb1Zm feel bad 4 @federering & fedfam at #Wimbledon

— LoveSetMatch  (@SourceSyndicate) July 4, 2017

Federer:"I have decided to come to Montreal 6 days ago, based on how I felt after vacation" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"I have trained enough during the past year, I prefer playing matches than training" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"The season has been very successful, if there are more things to come, great, otherwise, I'm still happy" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"Losing 6 months in a career is not a big deal if it allows you to return to 100%" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"I've played less in Montreal, and even when I played I wasn't always at my best. That's why I have never won here" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"Difficult to say if it's better to win GS or get back to n.1, Right now, I've already won 2GS and I'm so close to..." #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"... n.1 that maybe that's the best target" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"I don't remember that much of Montreal before 2010. I remember the Djokovic match and the 2009 trip, 1st with kids" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

Federer:"I feel center court in Montreal has a soul, not symmetrical, different from the others, and the crowd is great" #couperogers

— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 6, 2017

"I see a soul on Montreal's Centre Court. I like it. That's why I hope to stick around" -@rogerfederer #CoupeRogers pic.twitter.com/xSOEgaudjR

— Coupe Rogers (@CoupeRogers) August 6, 2017

Tonight on SN Central, hear from Federer and Nadal in our sit-down visits on the eve of Rogers Cup beginning in Montreal. https://t.co/KD9esc9z1L

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) August 6, 2017

Federer:"... n.1 that maybe that's the best target" #couperogers

"I remember the Djokovic match in the 2007 final and maybe a match against [Gaston] Gaudio where I saved match point," said Federer. "It feels a little like a blur to be honest. But my most important one was in 2009, when my girls were two weeks old.

"It was our first trip as a family. They just got their passports and traveled here. I remember we had an unbelievable time and I was trying to be a dad for the first time. It was all out of control in the nicest possible way. It was here in Montreal, so it will always be special for me here. This year, I'm here without the family so it's a bit different and bit more quiet. I'll plan on resting and sleeping while I can."

"What I see here is a soul in this tournament and a soul in the Centre Court. It's not totally symmetrical, which makes it unique as well. They're either a box or a circle. In most venues, they're the same, but here they're not.

"The crowd is full most of the time and there are day and night sessions, which is nice. There's a great energy in the town and they can sense that tennis is back. They only have this one big tournament during the year and fans make the most of it. I hope we can make it a great experience for fans who show up and pay good money for the tickets."

Rogers Cup sit down with Roger Federer

Sportsnet | August 7, 2017

Tennis superstar Roger Federer sits down with Arash Madani ahead of his match at the Rogers Cup in Montreal to talk about his rivalry with Rafael Nadal and more.

Video: (5:57)