'It seems super complicated for Roger Federer', says former ATP ace

Novak Djokovic is getting closer and closer to Roger Federer's record after a troubled recovery. The Serbian on 8 March, the date on which the freezing of points will be canceled, will overtake the Swiss for weeks spent in first place in the ATP ranking. The resumption of the season did not give Novak Djokovic many smiles. In fact, it was more the "scandals" that aroused interest in the Serbian than the results on the pitch. It all started with the organization of the Adria Tour, the disco parties, the disregarded social distancing and the unused masks in the stands. The result? Djokovic with the Coronavirus and an endless series of controversies over the n. 1 in the world. Novak Djokovic will officially be the player with the most weeks at the top of the world rankings starting on March 8th. Given the freezing of the ranking, the Serbian will not have to struggle at the start of next season. In fact, Nadal will be able to win a maximum of 1640 points, while there are more than 2000 that separate him from the top of the standings. It will be another record for Novak, who seems desperate for holds to be considered the GOAT of world tennis. Roger Federer has not played since the Australian Open in January and has undergone two knee surgeries since then. Former French player Paul-Henri Mathieu also believes that Rafael Nadal enjoys an advantage in the best-of-five set format especially on clay.

Mathieu on Roger Federer

Taking note of this, Paul-Henri Mathieu said, “Honestly for Roger Federer, I find it hard to believe that is an advantage. We don’t know how he will recover. In all fairness, I think he himself, deep down, doesn’t know. When you stop for a long time, especially at that age, you don’t know how you’re going to feel when you go back to it.” Over the years, Roger has been known to adapt well to different circumstances. However, to play 5-set matches on a regular basis during Grand Slams at the age of 39 doesn’t sound so easy. Reflecting on that aspect, the Frenchman further stated, “Even though he has a style of play whereby he can shorten exchanges, over the duration of an entire tournament, to chain matches in 5 sets, it seems super complicated.” Paul Henri-Mathieu also believes that the best-of-five sets format continues to remain a big advantage for Rafael Nadal, especially on clay. The Frenchman pointed out that the Spaniard's physical strength makes it easier for him to outlast his opponents in longer matches. Nadal has won the French Open a record 13 times, and he proved his clay court superiority once again at this year's event. "For Rafa on clay, this 5-set format is still an advantage. He is the one who masters the game so much that he tires less than his opponent. And that leaves him a greater margin of error than on a Best of three sets. He can lose a set and make up for it. The longer the match, the greater his margin," Mathieu stated.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/36lH0Wl