Historically the ATP Finals has been Roger Federer’s own fortress of solitude, but his latest performance at the tournament has left more questions than answers.
The 37-year-old proudly holds an array of records related to the season-ending tournament. These include the most titles (6), the most appearances (16) and the most match wins (55). However, his display against Kei Nishikori in his opening match this year has illustrated that the seemingly invincible Swiss player is destructible. His lack of rhythm contributed heavily to his 34 unforced errors, which equated to 52% of total points Nishikori won throughout the entire match.
“I felt we both struggled throughout the first set. You could tell it was sort of a first round.” Federer evaluated after the loss. “I had my chances may be a bit more than he did. Yeah, then I started to feel better in the second set.”
To the relief of his army of fans, the 37-year-old insists that he is not suffering from any physical problem or illness. Although, the raises another question about how did it go wrong? Federer, who had previously never lost his opening match at the tournament, shared some light on his preparations prior to his latest match. Explaining that he trained at numerous venues without the same consistency. Although he falls short of linking it to his loss.
“I think it plays different or it’s definitely slower than I think the last three tournaments that I’ve played.” He commented about the O2 Arena, venue of the ATP Finals. “I think everybody’s making a minor adjustment.”
“Practice has been a bit all over the place. I practiced in Queen’s, practiced on the outside courts here, then center as well. So it’s not always exactly the same conditions.
“Overall I thought I’m hitting the ball okay. Warm up today was totally fine.”
‘Warning, Mr. Federer’
Federer’s frustrations during the match were evident towards the end of the opening set. Failing to find a way to break the wall put up by Nishikori, he hit a ball out into the crowd. Prompting a code-violation from umpire Damian Steiner.
“I thought what was his argument, you know, why the warning.” The world No.3 said. “But nothing more than that. He thought I was angry. I wasn’t.’
“He knows me very well apparently, or he thought so (smiling).”
Restructuring his calendar in recent months to help him recover better, Federer was asked by a journalist if he felt extra pressure to perform in the tournaments he participates in. A logical theory that would explain his outburst with the ball. Nevertheless, Federer insisted that he is accustomed to the expectations that are placed upon his shoulders.
“I think I’ve had that pressure not going out early (in tournaments) during most of my career. Once you’ve been a former world No. 1, you always have that for the rest of your career, for every guy.” Federer stated.
“I mean, my season was never going to be exactly like last year. I knew that going into the season. If you thought I was going to have the same season again, I think you are dreaming a little bit.”
Federer will return to action on Tuesday when he plays Dominic Thiem. He can still qualify for the semi-finals despite the loss. Should he failed to do so, it will be only the second time Federer has failed to get out on the round robin stage in his career.
Whether or not this performance was a one-off remains to be seen. Although the usually reliable Federer has now become somewhat unpredictable in London.
