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AFP
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1.9
Federer mainly talks about air quality and not about tennis.
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Getty Images
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9.2
“And by the way, I play against Steve Johnson if anyone is interested,” he says after a while, laughing ironically.
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keystone-sda.ch
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3.9
With his coaches Severin Lüthi (left) and Ivan Ljubicic (right), Federer trained exclusively on the closed courts.
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Getty Images
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8.9
Federer has not contested a preparation tournament.
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AFP
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9.9
In the first round of the Australian Open, the maestro meets Steve Johnson.
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The development is clear: The 38-year-old sports icon Roger Federer is increasingly an ambassador, an opinion maker and leader for everything that moves the world. According to his clear statement in the Credit Suisse case, which he made under pressure from the climate activists, but said he was happy to make – “because the topic is important to me, touches me and I don’t want to live isolated from the world” – is the Swiss World number 3 is now the first speaker in the “Air pollution via Melbourne” case.
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“And by the way, I play Steve Johnson if anyone cares. I thought that’s why I’m in Australia, »he throws after the journalists with an ironic laugh. This was after their question time in English was over and until then no word had been said about tennis.
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Unusual deep stacking at Federer
However, it actually bubbles more out of the air problem than about sport. The 20-time Grand Slam winner later only surprised with unusual low-stakes: “I keep my expectations low!” He was satisfied with the set-up, everything went according to plan and there were no setbacks. “It’s worth gold.” But without a preparation tournament, these Australian Open would be a leap into the unknown. “I’m at the top of the mountain.”
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Unlike Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, who already showed great form, he had to prove himself before he could count himself among the favorites. Especially against a starting opponent like Johnson (ATP 81), who has never been able to beat him, but played a lot last week. «He’s match ready, I am not. I have to find the tension first and then hope that the shock is not too big for my body. I have to get out of the starting blocks quickly. »
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Training only on closed center courts
Faster than the organizers in Melbourne with their communication, which leads the topic back to the weather. It was a little late, after the ATP Cup and the qualification days when many complaints came up and Federer denounces that some players even had to give up setting clear rules. “In the end, everyone was very upset.” Although he, who only trained in the closed center courts, could not be used as an indicator, he went to the tournament director’s office and asked for an explanation. “I asked why the population should stay in the house, lock windows and doors while we were being sent to the squares.”
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However, Federer also questions his fellow players very critically. «Some always complain about the calendar, the full program, whatever. It is never perfect, and now there is something new, the smoke. ”He points out that it was also very hot on the smoky days. “35 degrees and smoke – maybe some players weren’t used to the heat yet.” The more you talk about a problem, the more it can affect you, says Roger. “If you keep thinking about an itchy arm, it really itches at some point.”
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“We won’t have to take any chances”
He couldn’t do more than ask for information, after all the situation is now clear: according to the heat rule, there is a kind of smoke rule that comes into force when the air pollution index exceeds the 200 mark. At the Olympics and elsewhere, the limit would only be 300. Federer: “We won’t have to take any chances. If there is too much smoke over Melbourne, it will only be played in the closed stadiums. »
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Roger’s concern concerns those who struggle to survive in fire and smoke anyway. «The problem is primarily for the animals in the bush and in the forest, for the people who live there, for the firefighters. We tennis players are hardly exposed to bad air quality here every day and certainly not for six months at a time. »The Australian Open may come for Federer.
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The most important thing about the Australian Open—
The Australian Open will take place in Melbourne from January 20 to February 2. In what form do the stars compete in the first Grand Slam of the year?
Timetable, records, rules: that’s what you need to know about the Australian Open.
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