Federer reclaims No. 2, Looks for big finish to season

Despite his loss to Andy Murray in the final of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, Roger Federer remains upbeat about the latter part of the season in the build up to the season climax at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, beginning 21 November. Federer reclaimed the World No. 2 South African Airways ATP Ranking by reaching the final.

Speaking about his decision to play this week in Stockholm – an event he has played just once before, in 2000 – Federer said that the tournament fitted nicely into his schedule this season.

Last season, Federer’s only appearance between the US Open and the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Basel was a Davis Cup appearance for Switzerland. But this year Federer added Shanghai and Stockholm to his schedule, and will again play his native Basel, the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in the closing weeks of the year.

“Last year I had quite a few things happening through the summer, winning French, winning Wimbledon, playing well in the summer, having twins, getting married, you name it," Federer said. "I could have done it, come here as well. But I just needed a rest. I was tired. This year, obviously the French and Wimbledon were nothing as brutal as last year. That's why also for me it was a big priority at the beginning of the year so I could play Shanghai. I was considering either playing the week before Shanghai or the week after.

“But I felt like I owed Stockholm to come back there. Good friends with Bjorkman and Johansson, who run the tournament there now. Disappointment of pulling out there a couple years ago. That was the decision behind that. I hope also by playing Stockholm, this was half indoor tournament already, which is good for what's to come now. I hope it's going to help me playing well in Basel, Paris and then London. Still a lot of points to pick up and many important events for me.”

Federer will relinquish the mantle of ATP World Tour Champion, with Rafael Nadal already guaranteed to finish the year at No. 1 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings. But the Swiss is locked in a battle with Serb Novak Djokovic to finishing No. 2. Federer has finished no lower than No. 2 for  seven consecutive seasons, beginning in 2003 when he finished No. 2 behind Andy Roddick.

Federer has won the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals four times, most recently in 2007, when it was held in Shanghai.

Date: 18.10.2010, Source: ATP