'Reaching quarter-finals would be an amazing result for Roger Federer', says analyst

Roland Garros 2021 is almost upon us, considering that the second seasonal Grand Slam will start on Sunday 30 May. What can we expect from Roger Federer? The 39-year-old from Basel will play his first ever Grand Slam since the 2020 Australian Open, when he reached the semi-finals by surrendering to future winner Novak Djokovic. His last appearance in the French capital dates back to 2019, in what many had interpreted as his final farewell to the Paris public. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was the protagonist of an excellent tournament, which ended in the semifinals at the hands of the eternal rival Rafael Nadal. King Roger will certainly not show up in ideal conditions at this edition of the French Open, having played only three games in the last year and a half (moreover with a negative balance: one win and two defeats). In a recent Eurosport interview, former ATP No. 2 Alex Corretja outlined what Federer's goal should be at the French Open. The Swiss has repeatedly reiterated that he wants to focus on Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Federer will be playing his first Grand Slam event since the Australian Open 2020

“Well for me honestly reaching quarter-finals would be an amazing result. If I would be Roger Federer which I’m not, of course, I would think to go step by step but reaching quarters I think it will be a major result because that will give him the rhythm he needs to get on the grass and be perfect of situations of different you know breakpoints and then different places to return and move his forehand and backhand mix it up a little bit with the slice" - Alex Corretja said. The two-time French Open finalist further added, “So that will give him like four-five matches maybe not five sets every match but like three sets one day four sets maybe one five-setter like the tough one that he came through and then give him a good feeling before he gets on grass. So I think the second week and especially quarters that’s would be a great result.” Roger Federer recently appeared in an interview for GQ Magazine, where he spoke at length on several topics - including retirement and his ambitions going forward. Federer also shed light on some of his childhood fantasies, and revealed that he once wished to have his hair colored red. "I don’t know, I’m really relaxed about where my career is, where my life is," Roger Federer said. "And I know that this [moment] is one last big, huge opportunity for me to do something great. I mean, it’s always like this when you have achieved as much as I have."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3bYBU4x