A five-time champion at the Western & Southern Open, Roger Federer has arrived early in Cincinnati and is eager to kick off his summer hard court campaign. The defending champion enters the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event with the hopes of re-energising his season at a venue with so many fond memories.
“Usually I play well before Slams and I’m happy here,†Federer said. “I always feel very welcome. It’s a nice tournament. The fans love it here. They flock in from many cities around Cincinnati and you really feel they are here for the tennis, which is fun for us players.â€
The 21-time Masters 1000 champion had his streak of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals snapped at the Wimbledon Championships just six weeks ago, losing in the second round to Sergiy Stakhovsky. It was unchartered territory for Federer, who suffered his earliest exit at a major in the past decade. Testing a larger 98-square-inch racquet head, he then reached the semi-finals in Hamburg before a shock opening round loss on home soil in Gstaad.
“I went on a short break with my family, came back and trained really hard. Right after Wimbledon I was thinking, what else can I do? Is it more training? Is it more time off? How can I use those extra 10-12 days?†Federer said. “That’s why I added Gstaad and Hamburg to my calendar and then realized I had more time to test racquets, so I did that. Once I went to Hamburg I was feeling great and really eager to play again. Then my back got bad. I carried that over to Gstaad and I was just happy to be playing there. It’s been a difficult past couple of weeks and not the tournament weeks I was hoping for.â€
Federer said that it wasn’t the best timing to test a prototype while suffering from a back injury, although he believes that it’s been a beneficial experience. “Right now I need to make sure that I actually enjoy my time on the court and don’t think about a million things and sort of simplify it. The priority is tennis. That’s what it is and that’s what it should be.â€
With his back on the mend, the Swiss is looking forward to defending his Cincinnati crown, his most recent Masters 1000 title. He will be seeking his sixth title here, having won in 2005, ‘07, ‘09-10, and ‘12. “I arrived here very early and I’ve been practising pain-free and playing really well, actually. I’m very pleased to be back on tour again.â€
Federer opens his Cincinnati campaign against the winner of the first-round match-up between Philipp Kohlschreiber and Mardy Fish. A potential quarterfinal duel with rival and World No. 4 Rafael Nadal looms large. The 2013 Western & Southern Open begins on Sunday.
