My goal has always been to defend the Halle trophy, says Roger Federer

Federer had won the last edition of this tournament by beating local favorite Alexander Zverev in straight sets to lift the trophy for the ninth time in his record-laden career. He revealed that he would look to add to that tally this time too and retain his spot at the top of the world rankings ahead of long-time rival Rafael Nadal.

“I’m always excited for a challenge. I’m up for it. I’m the holder here anyway, so my goal has always been to defend the title. That might take my mind off of number one a little bit; I have hopes of going a long way this week. I want to start out of the blocks quickly. But I also want to enjoy being number one again (sixth time). I don’t know how long I’ll be there. A good step would be to defend the trophy and help myself stay on the top ranking. I did a double-take this morning when I looked at the rankings and saw myself at number one. It was a cool moment I’d like to stay there,” Federer told AFP sources.