'It is the one place Roger Federer'll go where there isn't...', says legend

Roger Federer has huge ambitions for this edition of Wimbledon, but his preparation for the third Grand Slam of the season has certainly not been flawless. The former world number 1 is in fact in London with only eight matches played in the last year and a half, to which is added the premature elimination in Halle in the only grass test before the Championships. The draw was drawn on Friday morning, with the Swiss finished on the opposite side from the very favorite Novak Djokovic. The 39-year-old from Basel will make his debut with Adrian Mannarino, an obstacle to be taken with a grain of salt on this surface. Followed by Richard Gasquet and Cameron Norrie, the latter author of an excellent first part of the season (as well as a recent finalist at the Queen's). King Roger is aware that this could be his very last chance to clinch his 21st career major. In a lengthy interview with Matt Trollope, legendary Todd Woodbridge analyzed Federer's prospects at the All England Club this year. For the Swiss, we must forget the atrocious insult suffered in 2019.

Woodbridge on Roger Federer

"It is the one place Roger Federer'll go where there isn't performance anxiety," Todd Woodbridge said. "There is a real calmness from how well you usually perform when you go there. And there is a comfort in going through the gates, through the routines that you've done over so many years. I always felt that, and I know he would obviously feel that, because this is the tournament that feels like his own," he added. Woodbridge believes the eight-time champion may still have some "scars" from the 2019 final, but claims the Swiss could use it as a source of motivation this year. "There'll be some motivation and there'll be some scars from 2019, but if he thinks back to that year, he still played brilliantly, and should have won," the Aussie said. "That's something more positive to be able to feed off." Federer finds himself on the same side as Medvedev, Zverev, and Berrettini. He plays Adrian Mannarino in the first round. Then a tricky clash against Richard Gasquet could happen in the second round. He could meet Cameron Norrie in the third round and Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, he could face Medvedev. In the semifinals, he could face Zverev. Federer looked pale during his title defense at Halle Open 2021. He lost to Felix Auger Aliassime in the second round. He has been practicing in Wimbledon, and now, there is again an air of doubt around his Wimbledon campaign in 2021.

 

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