Roger Federer: 'Winning Halle title is tougher every year'
Roger Federer does not expect to have an easy path to his tenth title in Halle next month. The Swiss player admitted that there are a lot of tough rivals around. "When I look at a playing field like this one, I think it's even tougher to win the title. That's obviously a great field with Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori and me on the top ten. And then the other top players we know, they are always able to go far", said Federer, who will make his 17th appearance in Halle. Last year he lost to Borna Coric in a three-set final. "That shows my connection to the tournament, to the environment and the people who make this competition possible. It was a fantastic development for the tournament over the years. I was at the beginning of my career. I feel part of a big family here. And I can say that everyone in my family felt always comfortable there. Later my children, who appreciated the special atmosphere away from the big cities. It was a shame they could not be there lately."
Federer also praised the tournament development: "It was impressive to see how things changed over the years. It's still a tournament that makes things easier to us players. Through short distances, you can go practice. From your hotel room, you can look at the Centre Court. Player's field became even stronger in the ATP 500s. That's also an ideal date on the calendar, in the central week between the end of the French Open and the start to Wimbledon."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2Et32Yz
No comments