'If Roger Federer's movement is limited, he may have...', says top analyst

Roger Federer is widely recognized as one of the best performers in attacking tennis. In the latter part of his career, the former world number 1 has further increased his offensive propensity, in order to shorten the duration of the exchanges and take the net. The Swiss phenomenon has been away from the circuit for almost a year now, given that his last appearance dates back to the semi-final of the Australian Open 2020 against Novak Djokovic. The imperfect condition of his knee and the strict measures imposed by the Australian government led King Roger to miss the Australian trip for the first time in the last 23 editions. Thanks to the new ranking system introduced to deal with the consequences of the pandemic, the 39-year-old from Basel has nevertheless maintained a place in the Top 5. The main objectives of the 20-time Grand Slam champion will be Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed by twelve months due to 'Coronavirus emergency. In a recent interview with the 'Wide World of Sports' portal, former ATP number 1 Jim Courier explained that Federer's future will largely depend on his physical fitness.

Courier on Roger Federer

“It's all going to come down to where his (Roger Federer) knee is at after having two surgeries on it last year," Jim Courier said. “Is his movement going to allow him the freedom to play the tennis that he loves and that he's been so incredible at? I truly believe his racquet skills won't go anywhere in spite of not playing a tournament since last year's Australian Open. It's all going to boil down to his movement," Courier added. "If he can move, he will be able to play at a high level. If his movement is limited, he may have to go out blasting and try blast people off the court to prevent him from playing defense.” The Australian Open 2021 is just two weeks away and its excitement is at an all-time high at the moment. Although there are some strict protocols under the quarantine, players are practicing quite hard for the Grand Slam. While some go out for a 5-hour daily work-out, some have transformed their hotel rooms into training grounds. Earlier, there were doubts over whether the Australian Open 2021 would take place as per plan. Recently, when three people associated with the Slam were tested positive for a new mutant strain of coronavirus, some claimed that the major might be postponed. However, the management has decided to go ahead with the Slam and begin it on its planned date of February 8, 2021.

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