After careful consideration, Roger Federer has decided to compete on clay this spring, committing to Geneva and Roland Garros ahead of the grass season he loves so much.
Since last year’s Australian Open, Federer has only played two tournaments, battling a knee injury and undergoing operations in February and May of last year.
For his return to the game in Doha two months ago, Federer beat Daniel Evans before missing a match point against Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarter-finals. After two more months of rest, the Swiss returned to clay for the first time in nearly two years on Tuesday in Geneva, where he lost in the second round to Pablo Andujar.
Roger took a 4-2 lead in the deciding set after raising his level from the second set, but then lost ground and lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Looking for more matches ahead of Halle and Wimbledon, Roger will play Roland Garros in a few days, returning to Paris for the first time in two years where he was a semi-finalist.
Tournament director Guy Forget is delighted to see Roger in the table, saying the Swiss would have won five or six more Roland Garros trophies had it not been for Rafael Nadal’s presence. Federer lost all six Roland Garros games to Nadal, winning just four sets and never forcing a decisive set against the clay king.
Rafa beat him in the semifinals in 2005 for his debut and in three consecutive finals in the following years. Fixing his eyes on the only Grand Slam he had yet to conquer, Federer arrived in Paris in 2009, beating Robin Soderling in the title race to complete a career Grand Slam.
Two years ago, Federer returned to Roland Garros after not playing there for three years, playing well and reaching the semi-final where Nadal beat him carefree.
Francisco Roig opens up on Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal’s substitute coach Francisco Roig believes the Spaniard needs to correct a few flaws in his game ahead of Roland Garros.
Roig also praised Dominic Thiem and claimed the Austrian would be as big a threat in Paris as Novak Djokovic if he manages to regain his form. “When it comes to Roland Garros, I think a little more mobility is important,” Roig said.
“In terms of aerobic capacity, he was very good, he held in games, but I think we have room for improvement in terms of movement. He can still be a more dynamic point, both forward and in lateral mobility.
And the serve also needs to be worked on, even if it has improved more and more, “he added.” In fact, against Djokovic, he was already quite good ”
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