Roger Federer's comeback to clay is normal, says Dominic Thiem's coach
In a recent interview, Dominic Thiem's former coach and current agent Gunter Bresnik commented on what the biggest challenges are for Dominic Thiem on clay besides Rafael Nadal. "Djokovic is on the first row again. Wawrinka? 100 percent. The next topic is Roger Federer", said Bresnik. "He gets often drawn as a grass-courter, but his comeback on clay is normal. His wins and loss record is also one of the best on clay. In many tournaments he was only beaten by Rafael Nadal or by someone else not before the semifinals. From all the younger players I am very intrigued by Karen Khachanov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Canadians Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime. You do not want to face them in the early rounds."
On how to play perfect tennis on clay, Bresnik added: "Understanding the game is even more important on clay. To win the point, you need a lot of smartness. You also have to use variety like a slice, drop shot or also an aggressive shot. Footwork is just different. The good clay-courters slide a lot. The American players are not able to do that too much because they never learned the technique. You also have to be careful about your knee and ankles as the injury risk gets bigger."
Speaking of Federer's chances on clay, the former Australian player Todd Woodbridge said: "A lot of that depends on both Rafa and Novak. But I think if you throw anybody else in the equation, then Roger is sitting there still with the potential to win the tournament.”
Federer will play Madrid and French Opens next.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2ZMFyGP
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