'I see Roger Federer move and move like...', says former No.1

Roger Federer was one of the most important prospects in men's tennis in the late 1990s, leading the new generation with names like Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Andy Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero. The young Swiss claimed the first ATP title in February 2001 and played well in the Majors to reach the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, where he defeated seven-time champion Pete Sampras in five sets. Roger reached the top 15 after Roland Garros that year and needed more time to give an extra push and advance to the top 10 or top 5. Federer reached his first Masters 1000 final at Miami 2002 and lost it to Andre Agassi in four sets. The Swiss took another step in Hamburg in May, beating Marat Safin in the final to lift the most notable title in a race up to that point and reach the top 10 the next day.

Wilander on Roger Federer

Speaking on Eurosport, three-time Roland Garros champion Mats Wilander opened up on Roger Federer's current status. "It seems that he does not sweat, he never gives the feeling of getting tired," added Wilander. "It is his best characteristic at the moment, at 39 years old. The key is that he perfectly masters the selection of his shots: he knows when he has to give everything and when he has to recover. He can win a game in less than a minute. If he doesn't have major physical problems, he can play three or four more years." Wilander said Federer had shown no signs of decline in terms of movement, but acknowledged that a true test of the Swiss would come only against powerful strikers of the ball such as Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev. "I see him move and move like seven years ago; I do not notice much difference compared to today," he added. "We would have to see what happens against very powerful players, like Sinner or Rublev." Roger Federer, currently ranked No. 9 in the world, is on the official entry list for the National Bank Open in Toronto. The Masters 1000 event is scheduled to begin on August 7. It remains to be seen whether Federer will actually play in Toronto and/or the Cincinnati Masters, which takes place the following week. The US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, is set to take place in New York from August 30. The stakes are as high as they've ever been for Federer in the North American hardcourt swing.

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