Roger Federer says he has less pressure at this week’s Noventi Open but his ultimate goal remains winning the tournament once again.
The 39-year-old played his first match on the grass since 2019 on Monday when he ousted Ilya Machenko in two closely contested sets. It was the first time he had played a competitive match on the surface in over 700 days but soon found his footing. Winning 75% of his first service points and remaining unbroken throughout the match. Halle is only Federer’s fourth tournament since he returned to the Tour after having two knee surgeries last year.
“I actually got used to the grass very quickly. I feel it’s very much a mindset playing on this surface,” Federer said during his press conference on Monday.
“Everybody else is in the same boat. I mean, nobody has played for two years on the grass (due to the pandemic) so from that standpoint it is not a huge disadvantage for me.”
Federer is hoping that he will be able to capitalise on the momentum he recently gained from the French Open. In Paris he scored wins over Denis Istomin, Marin Cilic and Dominik Koepfer to reach the fourth round before withdrawing from the tournament. It was the first time he had won back-to-back matches on the Tour since January 2020.
“This week I think I have a little less pressure because I was able to play three matches in Paris. It’s not like I have to chase matches per say,” he said.
“Winning is nice, it gives me two matches here (in Halle) and hopefully more. The goal is clearly to try and win again.”
Since making his debut back in 2000, Federer has achieved a win-loss record of 69-7 in Halle (including his first round match win this year). He has won the tournament a record 10 times and is currently the defending champion. In 2019 he defeated Belgium’s David Goffin to win.
Despite his success in Germany, Federer’s ultimate hope is that this week will help him reach top form in time for Wimbledon. Ever since he began his comeback, the former world No.1 has stated that his goal is to peak in time for the Grand Slam. He will not be the overwhelming favourite to win the Wimbledon title given his absence from the Tour in recent months but Federer still has high expectations.
“At Wimbledon I want to go deep. Clearly that’s a goal for me. The season starts around now but I have been focused this week, the preparation and recovering from Paris,” Federer stated.
“They (my goals) are always high, they have to be high otherwise I wouldn’t be playing. I think anything I get in Halle in terms of matches is positive for Wimbledon.”
As to where his current form is, Federer is confident that he can reach full throttle sooner than later with Wimbledon starting in just two weeks time.
“I feel that my serve is there. I just need to get my footwork right. The right intentions on the court, known what to do when. That aggressive baseline game, I need to make sure it works automatically. I hope I can get there this week, otherwise I have practice next week,” he concluded.
Federer faces a potentially tricky second round encounter in Halle where he will play either Miami Open champion Hubert Hurkacz or Felix Auger-Aliassime who reached the final in Stuttgart last week.
