'Roger Federer was the first to call AO the Happy Slam', says tournament director

No Australian Open for Roger Federer who for the first time in his career will miss the appointment in Melbourne in which he has triumphed six times. The organizers made it known. The 39-year-old Swiss champion, who has been stopped since February, has started training again but has not yet fully recovered from double knee surgery and will not be able to participate in the tournament which opens on 8 February. King Roger hadn't missed a single Australian Open since his debut in 2000. "He is very disappointed but we look forward to seeing him for the 2022 edition," said tournament director Craig Tiley. Roger Federer was also protagonist in the last slam in which he participated (not only in Australia), last year in Melbourne. At 38, the Swiss canceled seven match points to be right in the quarter-finals of American Tenny Sandgren, bent 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) 6-3 after a marathon of three hours and a half. In the semifinal, in the 50th match against Novak Djokovic, Federer then had to give way to the Serbian number 1 in the world: after taking the lead in the first set, the Swiss was however defeated in three sets by 7-6, 6- 4, 6-3. The Swiss champion took the field despite an adductor injury in his right leg which clearly affected his movements. At almost 40 years old (he will turn them on August 8, 2021) Federer does not seem to want to give up as he ages and continues to announce his imminent return to the field despite having played a few games in 2020 because he had to undergo two knee operations . On November 6 she posted a photo and a message for her fans on social media, "Back to work". Roger Federer has thus announced that he has started working again to return to play, as he has already announced, in 2021. And he will do it in his own way. In June, in fact, he had already explained what his schedule will be to return to the fields: "Now, just as I did until the 2017 season, I plan to take the time to get back to 100% ready to play my I will miss the fans and the circuit but I look forward to seeing you all again at the start of the 2021 season." Craig Tiley, the Tournament Director of the Australian Open, has also released a statement on Federer's withdrawal. Tiley wished the Swiss superstar good luck for his comeback and expressed hope about seeing him in Melbourne for the 2022 edition of the tournament.

Craig Tiley on Roger Federer

“In the end Roger Federer ran out of time to get himself ready for the rigors of a Grand Slam and he’s very disappointed he won’t be coming to Melbourne in 2021," Craig Tiley stated. “The Australian Open has always held a special place in his heart – remember it was Roger who first called the AO the ‘happy slam’. We wish him all the best as he prepares for his comeback later in the year and look forward to seeing him in Melbourne in 2022,” he added.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/38IawoT