'If Roger Federer's fit and ready to play, we will...', says former Top 5

After postponing the return to the field by announcing the forfeit for the Australian Open, rumors continued regarding the date of the return to the field of the Swiss champion and tennis legend Roger Federer. The tennis player, winner of 20 Grand Slam titles, has not played a match from the Australian Open 2020, a tournament that saw him eliminated in the semifinals by world number one Novak Djokovic. Now the director of the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam and former tennis player Richard Krajicek has spoken revealing when, in his opinion, the Swiss champion will return to play tennis. According to Krajicek Federer will return in the second week of March by participating in the Doha tournament. Since Federer has been training in Dubai since last December, many believe that the Swiss will participate first in the Doha tournament and then in Dubai, which will be played in the following week. In these hours Richard Krajicek announced that the Rotterdam tournament will have Rafael Nadal as the protagonist in the first week of March. Both he and all the insiders in the Netherlands also dream of Federer's participation to have a cast for the extraordinary tournament. Federer has won the title three times in Rotterdam, the first in 2005 and the last three years ago when he surprisingly entered the tournament with a wild card. On that occasion Federer certainly did not play a great tournament but managed to win by beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final and reaching yet another record of him at 36. At the moment there is no official information but on the day when Nadal announced, Krajicek instead declared: "As far as I know Roger Federer will return to the Doha tournament, which is played a week after the Rotterdam one. Of course, if he is ready and fit to play maybe we will feel it too "The whole world of tennis awaits the return to the field of Roger Federer, stopped for the whole of 2020 due to the Pandemic but above all of a double knee surgery that forced him to stay away from the playing field.

Krajicek on Roger Federer's return

Rotterdam tournament director Richard Krajicek recently showered rich praise on Rafael Nadal, and claimed that the Spaniard's presence would elevate the event significantly. Krajicek also gave his opinion on Roger Federer’s much-awaited comeback, which many believe could take place at Rotterdam. Roger Federer is widely expected to follow his good friend Rafael Nadal to Rotterdam, but Krajicek believes that his event might be a bit too early for the Swiss legend. According to the Dutchman, Federer is more likely to make his return in the week after the Rotterdam Open - at Doha. “I think Roger will play in Doha, the week after Rotterdam,” Krajicek added. “But if he's fit and ready to play, we will hear from him.” Roger Federer is a three-time champion at Rotterdam, having won the title in 2005, 2012 and 2018. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was also runner-up in 2001, losing to Nicolas Escude in the final. Federer defeated his current coach Ivan Ljubicic (2005), Juan Martin del Potro (2012) and Grigor Dimitrov (2018) in the finals of his three triumphs.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Nvovrm