Federer stuns Nadal in straight sets at Indian Wells

Channeling the same game plan that reaped the ultimate reward in the Australian Open final in January, Roger Federer has put on a stunning display of aggression to defeat fifth seed Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. The four-time champion prevailed 6-2, 6-3 to set a quarter-final showdown with Australian Nick Kyrgios, after the Australian’s earlier upset of defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Federer’s victory marked the first time he had defeated Nadal three times in a row in 36 ATP Head to Head meetings, following his five-set triumph in Melbourne in January and a three-set win in the 2015 Basel final.

The last time Nadal tasted victory was in the 2014 Australian Open semi-finals. This was the first time the pair had squared off before the quarter-finals since their first meeting in the 2004 Miami Open third round.

“It's a nice feeling to win the last three, I can tell you that,” Federer said. "But most importantly, I won Australia. That was big for me. On the comeback, I look back at that and think that was one of the coolest things I ever experienced in my career.

“Basel was special, too, for many reasons, because I used to be a ballboy there. After the Australian hype, to play here in America right away, all of them are very special.

“All the matches that we have played are unique in many ways for both of us, winning or losing. So I take it. Obviously I can't celebrate too long this time around. I have to get back to work in a couple of days.”

Nadal had worked himself into a winning position when he led a break for 3-1 in the fifth set in the Australian Open decider before losing the final five games of the match. In the Californian desert on Wednesday, however, he was never given a sniff of hope.

“In Australia, it was a very close match. I had good chances to win,” Nadal said. “Today, not. Today he played better than me. These kind of matches, when you're not playing your match, it is impossible to win.

“When Roger has the advantage, his serve is so good, he has a lot of confidence with his serve, he’s able to play much more relaxed.”

Next up, a revenge mission against the 21-year-old 15^th seed, Kyrgios. The only time prior the pair has met, it was the Australian who emerged victorious in the round of 32 at the ATP World Tour Madrid Masters in 2015.

“I'm very impressed him taking out Novak, back-to-back weeks, on Novak's best surface,” Federer said. “I hope it's going to lead to something great for Nick, that he realises if he puts his head down and focuses that he can bring it, day in and day out, week in and week out.

“When it matters the most against the best and in finals, he's there. Of course I'd like to get him back.”

A four-time champion in Indian Wells, Federer came out of the blocks in a hurry against Nadal. The Swiss ninth seed secured the opener 6-2, consistently finding his mark coming over the backhand to keep the three-time champion on the back foot.

Federer brought up a break point in the opening game and converted when Nadal shanked a forehand into the stands for 1-0. He faced just his first break point of the tournament in the subsequent game but steadied to hold for 2-0 and would not face another for the remainder of the match.

The Swiss delivered impressively off the backhand wing. His fifth backhand winner of the first set was followed by an explosive wrong-footing forehand winner to bring up a break point on the Spaniard’s serve at 3-1.

He secured the double break off a spectacular backhand return winner for 4-1 after 23 minutes. He would close out the opening set in style as he threaded back-to-back forehand winners to bring up two set points and sealed it on his first with a serve-volley winner after 34 minutes.

“I think the backhand has gotten better because I have been able to put in so many hours with the new racquet now,” Federer said of his more aggressive approach off the backhand. “Really, since this year I feel super comfortable with the racquet, and I think I have also gained confidence stepping into it.

“I think all my coaches throughout my career have told me to go more for the backhand, but I used to shank more. So maybe deep down I didn't always believe that I had it in the most important moments. But I think that's changing little by little, which I'm very happy about.”

Determined to make a statement he would not go quietly, Nadal started the second set with authority, holding to love with a forehand winner and an ace out wide for 1-0. Federer’s aggression continued to gnaw at Nadal, however.

His confidence surged further when he broke early for 2-1 and now redlining, the pressure from the 36-year-old Swiss was relentless. He held to love for 4-2 off an ace out wide and drew the error from a looping backhand.

Nadal was rarely in control of a point throughout and when serving to stay in the match, a forehand clipped the net and failed to trickle over handing Federer two match points. He took it on his first with a crisp backhand return winner into the corner, capping a complete performance in which his backhand, return of serve and net approaches were on song.

Date: 16 March 2017, Source: ATP

Read More

Federer, Nadal to clash at Indian Wells fourth round

Roger Federer edged Steve Johnson 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4) in a hard-serving duel at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, setting up a fourth-round match against Rafael Nadal.

Federer fired 12 aces - his fastest serve registering 131 mph - and never faced a break point against Johnson, who reached 136 on the radar gun and fought off all four break points against him.

Federer is a four-time champion at Indian Wells who won his last title in 2012. He defeated Nadal in the Australian Open final in January for his record 18th Grand Slam title. Their meeting on Wednesday will be the earliest they have played since their first match in 2004 at Miami, where Nadal won.

"I'm very excited. That's why I came here, play against guys like Rafa. Now we have it," said Federer. "Australia helps me a little bit, but at the end of the day, I'm still in the comeback.

"I try to see it really as another opportunity to build upon something for the rest of the season. So regardless of Australia, winning or losing, I'm going to try to go out there and try to play free again. I think it's really important. I feel like tomorrow if I move well, I will definitely have a chance against Rafa.

"Because it's early in the tournament, I think we both don't quite yet know to 100 percent how everything feels. There is a bit of the unknown, which is exciting maybe for the fans to see how we're going to try to figure that part out."

Federer hit 32 winners against Johnson, including a forehand volley that earned him a mini-break in the first set tiebreaker. He won five of the next six points and closed out the set on Johnson's desperate backhand lob that landed wide.

Johnson held at 6-all to force the second tiebreaker and fell behind 4-2. He broke Federer for a 4-all tie before Federer won on his second match point when Johnson netted a backhand.

"In the second set, I think he was serving almost 90 percent at one point," Federer said. "That's why I changed my position on the return. I was trying to mix it up a bit."

Nadal advanced with a 6-3, 7-5 win against 26th-seeded Fernando Verdasco for his 50th career victory at the desert tournament, where he's won three titles but none since 2013.

Nadal called it unlucky that he and Federer were to play before the quarterfinals. The Spaniard leads the rivalry 23-12, including a 9-8 edge on hardcourts.

"It doesn't matter if everybody is playing well because from our part of the draw, only one of us is going to be in that semifinals," Nadal said. "So that's tough, but that's not happening every week. Only thing we can do to avoid that is be in higher position of the ranking."

Without a win against Federer since the Australian Open in 2014 - a run of back-to-back defeats - Nadal knows he has his work cut out in the earliest meeting between the pair since the third round of the Miami Open in 2004.

"Federer has the talent to do very difficult things that look easy. He's able to take the ball very early. Serve and first shot, he creates a lot of winners with that, the two first shots," Nadal said.

"And then he's able to take the ball always from inside, and he's very quick going to the net. If you play a short ball, then you know that he’s going to go inside and going to hit a winner, going to play a shot to your forehand or backhand, goes to the net, and you are going to be in big trouble."

This will be their third tussle at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Fededer claimed their 2012 semifinal 6-3, 6-4, while Nadal returned the favour the following year in the quarterfinals 6-4, 6-2. Between them, they have collectively accounted for seven of the past 13 Indian Wells titles.

Date: 15 March 2017, Source: AP, Omnisport and Indian Wells

Read More

Federer surges into Indian Wells third round

Roger Federer wasted no time in booking his spot in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday evening. In a battle of veteran players on the ATP World Tour, 35-year-old Federer raced past 36-year-old Stephane Robert 6-2, 6-1 in just 51 minutes.

"Very happy. The knee is a thing of the past, which is great. I don't even have to think or talk about it. So I thought the match went really well,” said Federer. “I’m very pleased with how it went. And moving on to the next round, it’s going to be a different matchup, so I’ve got to adjust again.”

Despite the scoreline, Federer was full of praise for Robert playing some of the best tennis of his career at age 36.

“I admire those guys who make the breakthrough later on and find a way and not lose love for the game early,” said Federer. “It’s nice to see him do well now and beginning to play against great players on the big courts. That’s been so motivational for those guys to keep going. All of a sudden, age just becomes a number.”

The Swiss star was in fine form, winning 71 per cent of his service points and converting all five of his break point chances. Victory takes Federer to a 53-11 mark at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, where he has lifted the trophy four times, most recently in 2012.

After being sidelined for the second half of the 2016 season, Federer made a remarkable comeback at the start of this year, beating Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal in back-to-back five-set tussles to clinch his 18th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open.

There was a surprise for Federer last week, though, in his second tour-level tournament of the year in Dubai, where he was upset by Evgeny Donskoy in the second round. The Basel native looks to bounce back this week, but finds himself in the toughest quarter of the draw, alongside Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Federer goes on to face 24^th seed Steve Johnson, who edged Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) in two hours and 14 minutes. Federer leads his ATP Head to Head rivalry with Johnson 1-0, defeating the American in straight-sets last year at Wimbledon.

“I have to be careful of any letdown after the Australian Open. I think it's real. That's why I'm really out there, like today, pushing myself on, one more point, shot-for-shot, point-for-point mentality,” said Federer. “It's important to see and not look too far ahead and think things are going to come easy.”

Date: 13 March 2017, Source: ATP

Read More

Federer unfazed by tough draw in Indian Wells

In a way, Roger Federer might get exactly what he wants during his return to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells this week. Federer said he came to the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament to face the best, and he should have that opportunity early and often at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The four-time champion has been drawn in the same quarter as five-time champion Novak Djokovic, three-time titlist Rafael Nadal, Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, Alexander Zverev and World No. 16 Nick Kyrgios, who's coming off his first win against Djokovic last week in Acapulco.

It's the first time that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have been drawn in the same quarter. They were drawn in the same half for the first time last year in Rome. The Swiss star isn't sure if he's faced a tougher draw during his 20-year career, but he's also not worried.

“It doesn't matter. I've gone through so many draws. I came here to Indian Wells to play against those guys. So it doesn't matter if it's a semi, a final or actually a fourth round,” Federer said during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday.

The 35 year old can't meet Nadal until the fourth round, but even that isn't a sure bet for Federer, who's returning to Indian Wells for the first time since 2015. Knee surgery last year forced him to miss the tournament after 15 consecutive main draw appearances in the desert.

“It's good to be back here and still on the comeback,” said Federer, who's playing in his third tour-level event of the season. “I'm enjoying practice more than ever and can't wait for the matches to roll around.”

In the third round, Federer could meet former Top 10 player Kevin Anderson or 24^th seed and California native Steve Johnson. Next, Federer might face Nadal in the fourth round, which would be the earliest they've met at a tournament since their first meeting in 2004, when they played in the third round in Miami.

Since Nadal took that debut contest, 13 years and 34 more ATP Head to Head meetings have passed. Nadal leads their ATP Head to Head rivalry 23-12, but Federer has won their past two contests, including the Australian Open final in January.

If Federer advances past Nadal and the seeds play out on the bottom portion of the draw, Federer will face Djokovic, who's looking to extend his 17-match win streak in the desert and claim his fourth consecutive Indian Wells title. But del Potro, Zverev and Kyrgios also loom in the Serbian's section.

“Most of the guys you won't even see because they'll eliminate each other. So from that standpoint the first message I got was Dudi Sela or Stephane Robert,” Federer said of his potential second-round opponents, following a first-round bye. “Then I heard that Rafa was in my section, you're like OK, and then you hear that maybe Novak's in your section and you're like OK, fine.”

Helping Federer stay relaxed is that winning feeling he's still carrying from Down Under. The 18-time Grand Slam champion said it feels like his five-set win against Nadal happened just yesterday.

“I still feel like I'm on Cloud Nine,” Federer said. “Things are terrific, and I'm happy if I made a lot of people happy, because I know I'm not just playing for myself these days. There's so much more to it.”

The right-hander has a 52-11 career record in Indian Wells, a run that includes four titles (2004-06, 2012) and two runner-up finishes (2014, 2015).

Date: 9 March 2017, Source: ATP

Read More

Federer blows three match points in shock loss to Donskoy

Roger Federer squandered three match points in a shock 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5) second round loss to Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday.

Federer looked poised to claim his ninth victory of the year when he held match points at 6/4 and 7/6 in the second set tie-break, before Donskoy fought back to force a decider. Federer looked to have regrouped when he broke in the sixth game of the third set and served for the match at 5-3, but again he failed to close out victory, losing his serve to 30.

Donskoy then turned the tables as he broke Federer in the 11^th game. But, serving for the biggest win of his career against the 18-time Grand Slam champion, the Russian was broken to love as the pulsating match when to a deciding tie-break.

Federer once again put himself in a commanding position as he led 5/2 with two serves to come. But in an astonishing turn of events, World No. 116 Donskoy reeled off the final five points of the match to prevail in just over two hours.

“I had my chances. I should somehow close it out. Don't know how it got away, but he did very well. It's a rough one, for sure,” Federer said. “But tennis is this way. Margins are small. A fast court like here, you can't find much rhythm. Next thing you know, you're struggling.

“Maybe I wasn't really committed enough. Commitment in tennis is a big thing. In the first round I was. Today I wasn't, really. That sort of is a feeling you get and it trickles in an entire game. I thought I returned way better in the first round. Today I really struggled on the return. I didn't quite really time it well. Yeah, timing I thought was off for me today. Legs also felt slower out here tonight. I felt tired all day. I tried to get myself in shape, and, you know, like warm up properly, do all the things I always do, regardless if it's a first round or a final.

“There's no excuses. I just think it's still the beginning of the comeback and I have to take the positives out of playing again a tournament where I feel I'm quite healthy and I'm happy I got over the groin injury I sustained at the Australian Open. Maybe didn't allow me to practice as much as I was hoping to in Switzerland, but at the same time also needed the rest. But there was also no problem there, really. I came early. I was perfectly prepared. It's just a tough loss tonight. So many chances. It was crazy.”

It is just the third time since 2007 that Federer has been beaten by a qualifier (2013 Hamburg vs Delbonis; 2015 Shanghai vs Ramos). The Basel native suffered his first defeat of the 2017 season, having made a remarkable comeback from a five-month injury layoff by defeating Rafael Nadal to win the Australian Open.

The 35-year-old Federer was bidding to win the title at this ATP World Tour 500 tournament for the eighth time. He drops to a 48-6 tournament record.

Through to his first ATP World Tour quarter-final since a semi-final showing at 2015 Moscow, the 26-year-old Donskoy will face seventh seed Lucas Pouille.

“I surprised everyone today. I think whoever wins against Roger surprises himself,” said Donskoy. “I can say it's a dream come true, but I don't like this, because you always want to win, even if it's Roger.

“It was really tough in the beginning, because it was too much pressure,” Donskoy said. “Because it's Roger, and I never even practice with him.”

Date: 1 March 2017, Source: ATP, AP and Dubai Championships

Read More

Federer begins his bid for eighth Dubai title

Roger Federer began his quest for a record eighth title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Benoit Paire in just 54 minutes. It is his 13th appearance in Dubai, and as well as winning seven titles he has twice finished as runner-up.

It was Federer's first match since winning the Australian Open last month, his 18^th Grand Slam title. But the 35-year-old Swiss showed no rust in the rout, winning nearly 70 per cent of his service points and saving all three break points faced. Federer broke Paire twice in the first set as the Frenchman struggled to stay in rallies. The Swiss broke twice more in the second set to earn his fourth win in as many tries against Paire.

“There were some break points to be saved, and, you know, I think I returned very well for a first round. I was able to get my second serves in deep, was able to go into the offensive quickly,” Federer said.

“I'm happy with how I played and I was able to stay aggressive. Didn't have to move that much. It was very quick rallies. So we'll see how that's going to turn out. But obviously couldn't be a better first round for me here in Dubai.”

Federer will meet a Russian in the second round, either veteran Mikhail Youzhny or qualifier Evgeny Donskoy. He improves to 48-5 at the tournament with the win against Paire.

“I have played here for so many years, seen the tournament grow,” Federer said. “And especially after Australia, fans and myself know how special it is for me to be back on the court. It was a nice welcome. Very thankful always.”

He faces a tough road from here, though. Top seed Andy Murray and second seed and defending champion Stan Wawrinka could meet Federer in the semi-finals and final, respectively.

Date: 27 February 2017, Source: ATP and Dubai Championships

Read More

Refreshed and refueled Federer ready for Dubai

Roger Federer returns to court "refueled" in Dubai this week after having not played since he won the Australian Open, his first tour event since being sidelined with knee problems for more than half a season.

The record 18-time grand slam winner is gunning for an eighth title in Dubai as the tournament celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Four weeks on from his incredible five-set victory over Rafael Nadal in the Melbourne final, Federer says he’s ready to step back on the court even though he only just got the all-clear for an inner thigh problem that bothered him during the Australian Open.

“Mentally I’m super-fresh again. I think I refueled the energy tank, on the mental side, being home, spending time with the family, being in the winter in the mountains in Switzerland. It was beautiful to be home in my own house and just enjoy that part,” Federer said.

But the World No. 9 acknowledged that he was not starting the tournament in top shape, with a leg injury having delayed his return to training.

“Physically I had a bit of a problem with my leg, that was bothering me for basically 10 days of the Australian Open, I didn’t have treatment for nothing, so I did an MRI after.”

An MRI following the tournament revealed some damage, but another done a week ago indicated improvement. Federer, having recently said he had not yet begun doing full practices again, is now ramping up.

“There was a bit of an issue, hematoma. I did scan again last Monday before I came and it definitely was better. So since three days now I’m practicing at 100 per cent. I’m a little bit tired because it’s the first time I’m actually pushing myself again, but because it’s fast court, best-of-three , I will be fine.”

Federer opens his Dubai campaign against Frenchman Benoit Paire and has been drawn in the same half as top-seeded Andy Murray. Number two seed Stan Wawrinka is in other side of the draw.

Date: 26 February 2017, Source: Sport360 and Tennis.com

Read More

Becker: "The more Federer wins, the more he will want to play"

Ahead of the Laureus Awards night in Monte Carlo, Boris Becker spoke about the Australian Open final won by Roger Federer over Rafael Nadal in five sets.

"Before the start of the Australian Open, everyone had been asking where do they go? After the tournament they have shown that they go to the very top," Becker said. "They showed some real drive and sent a message to Djokovic and Murray saying they are coming back.

"The way Federer played in Melbourne, it goes on to show that there is more to come and that is true for Nadal also. He is the favourite to win Roland Garros, it's clear that he can aspire to everything. It's good for tennis that Rafa is back."

Commenting on Federer's historical achievement, Becker added, "Winning 18 Grand Slams is huge. Who does that? But Federer made it look so easy and effortless. His elegance and classy way of achieving it is something that not many sportspersons will be able to replicate in future.

"A few months back the question was when will Novak equal and cross Federer's Grand Slam record but now suddenly the question has changed to whether he can do it. I feel both Rafael and Novak may catch Federer but even he is going on. The more Federer wins, the more he will want to play. Tennis at top level is about mentality and not so much about form. The maturity of a player is important."

Date: 18 February 2017, Source: Tennis World USA

Read More

Federer's secret to longevity: Mastering his body & mind

Roger Federer is one of the most important examples in terms of longevity. At 35, the Swiss continues to be competitive and manages to improve despite he is not young anymore and the next generation has come. On Tennis Smash website, Federer revealed the secrets that allow him to be competitive against the best players.

The Australian Open champion shares thoughts on health, fitness and maintaining a fresh mental approach:

You’ve got to love the game, because if you don’t love it, then it’s just going to be too hard. I think that’s kept me going quite easily actually, because I know why I’m playing tennis. Deep down that’s really important.

It’s not easy to win Slams. That means I’ve done something quite extraordinary for many seasons. I play a full schedule from January to November. I will keep on doing that, listening to my body, trying to be smart about what I need to do to play well when I really want to play well. That doesn’t always mean just majors, but obviously it’s a big part of our game.

I always make sure I have enough breaks, enough holidays, build up, tournaments, practice. The whole thing needs to come together. Maybe it’s tricky coming back the first couple of matches, but once you’re in, it’s a big advantage you had time off. It’s not easy to sit on the sidelines to see four, eight to 10 guys winning tournaments while you’re sitting at home working out. Working out doesn’t give you a whole lot of points.

You have to listen to the signals of your body. There are different ways you can stay healthy. Then every player has their own secrets or routines that work. Some just get unlucky, like Tommy Haas or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga maybe early on. You have a bad back operation at 21. Could he have avoided that? I don’t know. From then on, it’s just a fragile body maybe. That’s why it’s important to get professional early.

It’s a good thing to work out and to eat healthy. That’s what I do. I never have to be too careful with my diet. I think when it gets dangerous is when you get injured and you can’t practise as much and you keep on eating the same amount. I eat very healthy to start with. That helps of course to not get any bigger and heavier, even though heavier means stronger, but not all the time.

Things are a bit different today than they were 10 years ago. The emphasis on fitness changed just because you’re more careful not to get injured. So sometimes less is more. Quality is more important than quantity. Whereas when you’re younger, you got to put in the hours, you got to put in the work.

Eventually you have experience. You know what you need to get ready for a tournament, in the off-season, what you need to do. So clearly I’ve made mistakes and made right decisions over the years. You try to put them all together, assemble all those pieces and make it work.

The goal was always to play for a long time. I’m happy I’m still going and I’m happy that my kids occasionally come to watch me play. So, yeah, I definitely think family life has had a positive effect on me as a person and my life, as a player. My relationship with my wife, it’s been wonderful. So, yeah, we’ll see how much longer I’ll play.

Date: 14 February 2017, Source: Tennis Smash

Read More

Federer: "A special day, a special couple of weeks"

Roger Federer stayed up all night and witnessed the sunrise over Melbourne following his Australian Open victory on Sunday, before walking into his hotel room with the trophy to the delighted faces of his four children.

The Swiss superstar, who had promised to “party like rock stars” after beating Rafael Nadal for his 18th Grand Slam championship crown, arrived bleary eyed and husky-voiced at the champions’ photo shoot at the elegant Carlton Gardens on Monday afternoon.

“We started late, or super early in the morning,” said Federer on Monday. “We made it home by sunrise, which was good. It was nice to see the sun rise over Melbourne, get into the room, so it was a long night but a lot of fun. Everyone was in such a good mood, it was a special day, a special couple of weeks and finished off in a great way, being silly and having a lot of fun. Forgetting about everything, all the pressure went away.”

Federer said he felt OK, but he was tired for the traditional championship photo shoot.

“My legs hurt like mad and my back's stiff now, too, because I couldn't take any treatment, plus I was dancing," he said. "I'm still on the high. I'm going to crash eventually but that's OK.”

Federer, who had experienced a six-month injury lay-off only to return at the Australian Open, admitted it was especially gratifying as it was his first major trophy since his second set of twins, Leo and Lenny, were born on 6 May 2014.

“This is my first Slam win with the boys, they weren't born when I won in 2012, so that's special for Mirka and myself that I was able to do it,” said Federer, who also has girl twins, Myla and Charlene (born 23 July 2009). “The girls were just super excited to see the trophy. They will probably forget one day what happened, but at the same time they were happy that I'm happy.

“I saw them this morning. As I walked in, they woke up. Bit of a weird moment but still so great because they were all in such a good mood as they woke up and I came in walking in with the trophy. It was an amazing half-hour right there.”

Today, Federer rose seven spots to No. 10 in the ATP Rankings. He had dropped to No. 16 on 7 November 2016, falling out of Top 10 for the first time in 734 weeks (14+ years).

“I don’t know how much I slept, but you know I had to look at some highlights again to know how close the match was, and go through the emotions again,” said Federer. “What makes me most happy is when I see my friends and family so happy, my support team, everybody who was there.

“When I saw them celebrating again it really made it emotional when I heard people in Switzerland were following me and I saw people being really happy for me, that I won a slam again and particularly this one. It’s a bit of a fairytale to come back this way.”

Federer said he would take time to reflect and let his body recover before his next tournament in Dubai from February 27. After that he'd play Indian Wells and Miami before a European clay court schedule he hadn't yet fully planned. He said he was aiming to play the French Open before moving to the grass court season and Wimbledon, saying: “I know I'll have a better shot there.”

Federer also said he'd “have a good chance to do well" at the U.S. Open, and is still hoping to add another Australian Open title next year.

“I hope to be back next year of course,” he said. “That's why I took the six months off to hope I can still be playing for a couple of years.”

Date: 31 January 2017, Source: ATP and AP

Read More