Federer to decide soon on Tokyo Olympic plans

Roger Federer plans to decide “in the next month or so” whether he will play at next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Federer said on Tuesday his 2020 schedule is already set through to Wimbledon, which ends 12 July. The week-long Olympic tournament starts on 25 July and ends a few days before his 39th birthday.

“I guess I’m going to be deciding on the Olympic Games in the next few weeks, hopefully in the next month or so,” he said.

Speaking ahead of the Laver Cup team competition he co-owns, Federer said he is “very excited about the prospect” of Tokyo. “I just have to see how is the family, how is my body doing,” Federer said in a Swiss TV interview.

Federer is a four-time Olympian, meeting his wife at the 2000 Sydney Games and twice carrying Switzerland’s flag at opening ceremonies. He won doubles gold with Stan Wawrinka at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver in singles at the 2012 London Games, where the tennis event was played at Wimbledon.

“It’s been such a special event for me,” he said.

He missed the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of knee injury.

To play in Tokyo, Federer would likely have to get a wildcard exemption from the International Tennis Federation as he has not played the required amount of Davis Cup games to be eligible by right.

Date: 19 September 2019

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Dimitrov stuns Federer in five sets at US Open

Grigor Dimitrov came from two sets to one down to shock the five-time champion Roger Federer 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in three hours and 12 minutes, advancing to his first semi-final in Flushing Meadows. The 28-year-old had never beaten the third seed in seven previous ATP Head to Head meetings, winning just two of 18 sets in those matchups.

There will be a first-time major finalist on the top half of the draw, as Dimitrov will play in-form fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the last four. They have split two previous matches, both of which came in 2017.

Dimitrov took advantage of a night on which Federer never found his top level, maintaining his ground on the baseline and using great variety to keep the 20-time major winner from getting into a groove.

"After the second set I felt I was getting a good strike on my shots," Dimitrov said on the court. "My main goal was to stay on the court as long as possible. At the end for sure he was not 100 per cent. It's best of five sets and anything can happen."

Federer, the oldest major quarter-finalist since a 39-year-old Jimmy Connors made the semi-finals of the 1991 US Open, made 61 unforced errors to only 41 for Dimitrov. The Swiss converted only four of the 14 break points he earned.

"I thought he was tough off the baseline. He mixed up well, which gave me all sorts of problems with the rhythm. Could never really feel comfortable off the baseline," Federer said. "That's something in the past I've always been able to dominate, I'd say. That was not the case tonight. He did a good job there."

In the end, Dimitrov simply played the cleaner match. Although he double faulted to get broken multiple times, the Monaco resident remained calm in rallies, with Federer ultimately making 21 more unforced errors than he struck winners.

"Just disappointed it's over because I did feel like I was actually playing really well after a couple of rocky starts. It's just a missed opportunity to some extent that you're in the lead, you can get through, you have two days off after. It was looking good," Federer said. "But got to take the losses. They're part of the game. Looking forward to family time and all that stuff, so. Life's all right."

At the beginning of the match, it was tough to forecast an upset. The 38-year-old Swiss seemingly set the tone by breaking in his first return game en route to a 3-0 lead. Federer dropped just nine games total in his previous two matches before facing Dimitrov, so it looked like much of the same.

But Dimitrov, a first-time US Open quarter-finalist, made his key breakthrough when he broke for 4-2 in the second set. Even though he could not serve out the set at 5-3, returning the break of serve with a double fault into the net, Dimitrov showed that he was very much in the match, and on his first set point Federer mishit a cross-court forehand well wide.

Federer broke twice in the third set to capture the momentum. But like in the second set, he was unable to get off to a quick start in the fourth, and that proved costly. After Dimitrov forced a decider, Federer left the court for a medical timeout as the Bulgarian did push-ups on his bench to stay warm.

"I just needed some treatment on my upper - what is it - back, neck," Federer said. "Just needed to try to loosen it up, crack it and see if it was going to be better."

Dimitrov raced to a double break and 4-0 lead in the fifth set as Federer continued to make unforced errors, struggling to find energy. And finally, after holding to love, Dimitrov put his hands on his head and let out a massive roar after securing the win.

Looking forward, Federer said he plans to play Laver Cup and compete in "Shanghai, Basel, maybe Paris, London."

"I think still it's been a positive season. Disappointing now, but I'll get back up, I'll be all right."

Date: 4 September 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer cruises into US Open last eight

Roger Federer played just two hard-court matches leading into this year’s US Open. But after dropping the opening set in each of his first two matches at Flushing Meadows, the five-time champion has found his rhythm in New York.

Third-seeded Federer defeated No. 15 seed David Goffin 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 after one hour and 19 minutes on Sunday to reach his 13th US Open quarter-final, tying former World No. 1 Andre Agassi for the second most in the Open Era. It is also his record-extending 56th trip to the last eight of a Grand Slam.

"Sometimes these scores just happen. You catch a good day, the opponent doesn't, then things happen very quickly. Maybe he struggled a bit early on," Federer said. "But I found my groove after a while and was able to roll, really. Never looked back."

No player has won the US Open after losing the first set in each of his first two rounds. But Federer has steadily improved his level as he continues chasing a 21st Grand Slam trophy. Against Goffin, the 102-time tour-level titlist crushed 35 winners and made only 17 unforced errors.

"David wasn't nearly as good as I expected him to be. He was struggling a little bit today," Federer said. "I was able to take advantage of it, and I think that's the key. In a fourth round like this, if you can keep it nice, short, simple, you have to take them. I'm very happy."

In the opening stages of the match, it seemed Goffin - who reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati - may challenge for his second ATP Head to Head victory against Federer after breaking for a 2-1 lead in the opening set. The Belgian had defeated the Swiss on a big stage before, doing so at the 2017 ATP Finals.

But Federer responded in a major way, immediately breaking back and during one stretch winning 18 of 20 points. It proved too difficult for Goffin to hold his serve throughout the match. The rallies were clearly on Federer's racquet, breaking on nine of his 10 opportunities and winning 60 per cent of his first-serve return points.

When Federer came to net, he was in strong position to do so, winning 19 of 23 points when he ventured to net. Goffin on the other hands did not able to enjoy the success, emerging victorious on just four of 11 trips forward. The 28-year-old also uncharacteristically made more than double the number of unforced errors (17) as he hit winners (8).

Federer lost six games in the first set of each of his first two matches this US Open. In the third round, he dropped five total games against Daniel Evans and against Goffin, the Swiss lost only four total games.

"As soon as you get there, first match on Ashe against him, you can feel all the 20,000 people are behind him as soon as he hit the ball," Goffin said.

"All of a sudden every shot is 10 times tougher than usually. All of a sudden what you felt the day before during practice or the last matches, it feels completely different.

"He was great but I gave him the whole match," Goffin said. "It's tough to say but yeah, probably my worst match against him I've played."

Federer will next face 2017 ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov who reached his maiden US Open quarter-final.

"Feeling excited first to be in US Open quarter-finals for the first time. This is what I practiced for, to play those matches," Dimitrov said.

"It's a great opportunity for both of us. Hopefully we have a great battle and we can produce some great tennis."

Federer's past two matches have been the fastest completed matches in the men's singles draw at this year's US Open. The Swiss beat Evans in one hour and 20 minutes before ousting Goffin in one hour and 19 minutes.

Date: 2 September 2019, Source: ATP and AFP

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