Federer is the top-seeded player in Halle, one of the grass-court warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon. Four of his seven Wimbledon titles came after Federer also won in Halle.
''Halle is one of my favorite places on the tour, and being successful there makes it even more likable,'' said Federer, who will be seeking his sixth title in the cozy event, where players step on court practically from their hotel rooms.
Federer is coming off a quarterfinal loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the French Open last week.
''Paris has little to do with
Halle or Wimbledon, but looking back I am really disappointed with my
match against Tsonga,'' Federer said. ''There are days like that, but
fortunately there haven't been so many in my career, and I hope there
won't be that many to come.''
Federer reached 10 straight Grand
Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight titles. He also appeared in
eight major finals from 2008-10, winning four. But since that run ended,
Federer has played in just two of the last 13 Grand Slam title matches,
winning one at Wimbledon last year.
At 31, the winner of a record 17
major titles could be slowing down. He has also had a back injury
during the first half of the year.
He lost the Rome final in two quick sets to Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the Halle event to rest after his eighth French Open title.
''I now feel that the best time
for me is still to come in the second half of the year. It's a very
important phase of the year, leading to Wimbledon and the North American
swing with the U.S. Open,'' Federer said.
''To win here in Halle would be a good buildup for Wimbledon,'' he said.
Date: 10th June 2013, Source: AP
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