Tim Henman: 'Roger Federer has nothing to prove, and he still wants to..'

Alongside other encounters, Roger Federer and Tim Henman were involved in a tight Wimbledon quarter-final encounter in 2001. The Briton won that one in four sets to reach the semis, winning six of the opening seven matches against the Swiss before Roger took charge to close their rivalry with six straight triumphs. Roger and Tim had remained friends when the Briton retired, with Roger still playing and Tim working as a commentator. Henman hopes that Federer will be at his 100% once he returns from two knee surgeries, saying he still has a desire to compete despite achieving so much over the past two decades. In his shortest season in a career, Roger has played only one tournament in 2020, reaching the Australian Open semi-final and skipping the rest of the action after two knee surgeries in February and May. The Swiss is working hard on a comeback, increasing the practice court's pace and hoping to get ready for the Australian Open 2021.

Roger claimed four ATP titles in 2019 to finish inside the top-3 behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, missing a chance to conquer the ninth Wimbledon crown after wasting two match points against Djokovic in the final. Kicking off the 2020 season at the Australian Open, Roger battled hard against John Millman and Tennys Sandgren to reach the last four. Struggling with a groin injury, Federer saved seven match points against the American in the quarter-final's fourth set, prevailing but having nothing left in the tank ahead of the next clash! In the semis, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger in straight sets, marking the season's final official match for the Basel native.

Tim Henman hopes that Roger Federer can reach his pre-injury level.

After the record-breaking Cape Town encounter with Rafael Nadal on February 7, Federer underwent knee surgery, planning to return in June for Halle and Wimbledon on his beloved grass. The Swiss failed to take the pain away and underwent another surgery in May, sidelined for the rest of the season. Keeping those points from 2019, Federer should start the new season from inside the top-5, hoping to reach his pre-injury level as promptly as possible and compete for notable titles again at 39.

"We have to hope Roger's rehabilitation goes well, and he can get himself back up to a good level if he enters the Australian Open. He wants to compete at the highest level, and it will not get any easier for him. To compete at the highest level will be challenging, but his eagerness to come back at the age of 39 is incredible. Roger has achieved so much and has nothing to prove. Still, he wants to come back and play again, and it will be great for the sport if he can reach the level he expects of himself," Tim Henman said. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/32BO3rg