I just hope I can find my rhythm and range a bit earlier, says Roger Federer
Roger Federer, who would be returning to action with Stuttgart open after missing clay court season, hopes to find his rhythm and range as earlier as possible. Federer insisted that his return to tennis would not be easy after not playing for three months, since the loss against Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer would be making his return to tennis with Stuttgart Open. Federer could return to the top of the ATP rankings this week but insisted that he has been well aware of the dangers lurking on grass. The 36-year-old Swiss skipped the clay-court season, including the French Open, to concentrate on retaining his Wimbledon crown and would kick off his preparation on the German city's slick lawns.
He would play
"Having lost here last year in the first round, for me, it resets the goals as well, and just take it one at a time and don't think too far ahead. Not that I did that last year, but on grass, margins are very slim. It's not so simple, especially when you haven't played in three months," Federer told the ATP website.
Federer would overhaul Rafael Nadal at the top of the rankings if he would reach the final on Sunday. Last year’s defeat by Haas along with his semi-final loss the year before against Dominic Thiem means Federer would be in the unusual position of trying to avoid a three-match losing streak at a single tournament. However, the loss against Haas did not hurt him much as he went on to win the Halle title and an eighth Wimbledon without dropping a set.
"I came back very strong and my reaction was very good after losing here against Tommy," Federer said. "I didn't drop a set for the rest of the grasscourt season, which I was very happy about. So I just hope I can find my rhythm and range a bit earlier. I'm motivated. It's been a while, I haven't played matches.