Fed May Not Play French...

[marc45]

1. Christopher Clarey‏ @christophclarey 5h5 hours ago
2. Federer says not at all certain he'll play the French Open, plans to decide around May10th

..........

Roger Federer questions his presence at Roland Garros: "I'll decide in May"
"When we are done with the job in Dubai, we will sit down with my team and see if we change to clay or not," said the winner of the Australian Open and the 1000 Masters of Indian Wells and Miami this season

SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2017 • 08:53

Federer has not yet defined whether he will play at Roland Garros.
10
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland (dpa) - Swiss Roger Federer has questioned his presence at the French Open and said he would make a final decision in mid-May after his mini-preseason in Dubai.


"I guess I'm going to make a decision after all this preparation. Around May 10," Federer said in an interview with a small media group at his home in the Swiss town of Lenzerheide.

"When we are done with work in Dubai, we will sit down with my team and see if we change to clay or not. I will see how I feel, if something happened in the middle, whether in the physical or in the mental," Explained the winner of 18 Grand Slam titles.


After winning the Masters 1000 of Miami in early April, Federer announced that he will practically skip the entire clay tour to rest and regain energy for the rest of the season. Only kept on the calendar to Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the season, which begins on May 28 in Paris.

"As I see things at the moment, I will play the French Open, but until May 10 a lot can happen," Federer said.


"(If I do not play) the pause would not then be seven weeks, but ten.It has to be well thought out.But to play for play, I do not do it anymore, because no miracle happens.I must be really well prepared and really want it "Added the former world number one.

After six months without competing for a knee injury, Federer had a dream comeback this season and won the three major tournaments so far in 2017: the Australian Open and the 1000 Masters of Indian Wells and Miami.

The European tour of clay, which starts Monday in Monte Carlo, is however the least beneficial to their game. The Swiss only won one of his 18 Grand Slam on the slowest surface of the circuit: Roland Garros 2009.

 

[Artist]

I kinda feel he will skip it. He says himself it must be really well prepared and yet he will only make a decision the 10th of may and only start practising two weeks before the tournament begins on clay. That doesn't seem that prepared imo.

 

[ojo rojo]

 

[TheMusicLover]

He's merely stating what everyone should already know by now: he'll judge whether he's ready to play come time.
A LOT can happen in some two months of time.

 

[Shaolin]

Dude should just start training on grass now, skip everything including RG and just destroy everyone at W.

 

[Hitman's Gurl]

Focus on Wimbledon Roger! You need to win it one more time. I don't want to see you lose.

 

[noobforehand20]

i think that choice will determine if he really is interested in #1, decide to grab some extra points in the french or just focus on everything else

 

[KINGROGER]

Grass sweep incoming? Stuttgart-Halle-Wimbledon.

But seriously, does he need 10 weeks to rest? Shouldn't a couple of weeks do it?

 

[Charlie]

Wouldn't mind seeing him do that even though that probably means moving out of top four seeds for Wimbledon. Anyway that's the tournament he should concentrate on, not this #1 hype going on.

 

[Chadillac]

It would be nice to see everyone skip the french after what they pulled last year.

 

[TripleATeam]

I think he'll play RG. Federer is the kind of man to put his best effort everywhere. He's dedicated to the slams, not just winning Wimbledon. I think he'll try his luck at RG, then if he goes out first week, prepare for Wimbledon as best he can. If he makes it to the second week, he'll try to win RG, then Wimbledon, too!

 

[Surion]

So what? This isn't a news.
After Miami he said "I'll be back at the French, if at all."

And it would be a pretty damn smart move to skip the clay entirely.

 

[Shaolin]

Grass sweep incoming? Stuttgart-Halle-Wimbledon.

But seriously, does he need 10 weeks to rest? Shouldn't a couple of weeks do it?

He probably won't be able to resist playing RG.

 

[metsman]

if he does this he better win Stuttgart and Halle to make up the points

 

[cc0509]

I think he should skip RG. It's obvious he doesn't believe he can win it and why would he? There are too many players who can take him out on clay(not just the Big Five players) and the grinding he would do to his 35 year old body isn't worth it.

 

[Thundergod]

I'm not sure how anyone can miss the chance of a CYGS, no matter how small is.

 

[ZiggyStardust]

I always find it interesting how much Federer blatantly prioritizes between slams. At this point, there is more to his Wimby obsession than grass being his best surface (and with good reason).

 

[MasturB]

Fed hasn't played in Paris since Bercy 2015 and he got knocked out early there.

He will do the honorable thing and play RG. The fans in a Paris love him too much and they'll put all his matches on Chatrier not Lenglen.

 

[SinjinCooper]

Meh. Dirtball is second class tennis, anyway. If he shows, he shows.

if he does this he better win Stuttgart and Halle to make up the points

Clearly he doesn't care about points. Nor does he need to, since low seeds aren't an impediment to progress toward titles when everybody on tour is your pigeon.

 

[falstaff78]

Wouldn't mind seeing him do that even though that probably means moving out of top four seeds for Wimbledon.

No

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/will-lord-fedr-be-seeded-4-for-wimb-2017.587280/

 

[Charlie]

No

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/will-lord-fedr-be-seeded-4-for-wimb-2017.587280/

Thanks, I forgot Wimbledon works differently. I just thought Nadal going far at the French would put him at #4 and Federer below him.

 

[BeatlesFan]

He's merely stating what everyone should already know by now: he'll judge whether he's ready to play come time.
A LOT can happen in some two months of time.

But it's not two months, his decision date of May 10 is three weeks away.

This is really bad news, it sounds to me like he's not going to play it and knew all along he wasn't going to play it but held back in telling the public. Even 5 minutes after the Miami final, he told Brad Gilbert, "you'll see me next probably at the French open." Roger was sort of tipping his hand right there.

But he knows his body best of all, not us fans.

 

[BeatlesFan]

I'm not sure how anyone can miss the chance of a CYGS, no matter how small is.

I agree!!!

 

[Mainad]

Will be weird if he doesn't play it though. Skipping Masters is one thing (he's done that plenty of times) but never before he has ever skipped playing a Slam unless, like last year, he is injured. Will be very surprised if he doesn't play RG!

Is he allowed to skip Slams any way without a valid excuse? I know he's exempt from playing all other events but I didn't think that extended to Slams!

 

[Backspin1183]

I am sure he will play Roland Garros. Even if somehow he doesn't, he's earned the right to choose his tournaments.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Is he allowed to skip Slams any way without a valid excuse? I know he's exempt from playing all other events but I didn't think that extended to Slams!

He can cite "fatigue" as an excuse that is recognized as valid in slams. Or he could fake an injury and be exempted that way. I can't imagine he would do either since he's one leg up on the CYGS. It doesn't matter if his chances at the FO are considered dim, you don't skip a major!

 

[BeatlesFan]

Delete, double post.

 

[wangs78]

I kinda feel he will skip it. He says himself it must be really well prepared and yet he will only make a decision the 10th of may and only start practising two weeks before the tournament begins on clay. That doesn't seem that prepared imo.

Agreed. Also he may want to see who's doing well during the clay season. If Rafa and Djokovic are consistently making it to finals then I think he will skip RG. If he sees those two getting upset early and players like Wawa and Kyrgios making it deep, then he might think it worthwhile to go to RG playing on the odds that Rafa and Nole get knocked out before he would have to face them.

And to be clear, it's not that he is afraid of facing them. He just wants to avoid those long drawn out rallies that Rafa and Nole will push him into. To win on clay you need to construct points, and frankly the toll on his body that a matchup against those too rivals will require ain't worth it. Just focus on grass if that is the case.

 

[Hitman's Gurl]

I just do not want him to damage his chances on grass by going deep at RG and have nothing to show for it. He will still have good mindset starting grass. He will be back on his favourite surface. He will be more confident there in beating Rafa, Novak and Andy. He can build steadily by getting good matches in against lower ranked players first. Then attack while still very fresh at Wimbledon. CYGS is just not happening. 19 can happen and I want him to hold record at Wimbledon this year.

 

[6-3 6-0]

I still think he'll play because he isn't injured or anything so far. Most likely he is being cautious because of what happened last year that forced him to skip and don't wanna repeat that this year.

 

[abmk]

Oh come on fed, play RG.
If you go deep and fatigued, you can still skip Stuttgart, play Halle. Will have sufficient rest and practice for Wimbledon.

 

[TheMaestro1990]

Personally, as a fan of the great man, I want him to show up just because it's a Grand Slam. And also just because he has this, slim - super slim - chance of keeping the hope of a CYGS alive which is very naive, but very cool if you ask me. I don't know, but not seeing a healthy Federer competing in a Grand Slam tournament seems... strange and wrong.

I think he should play, hope for a good draw where he is on the opposite side of Nadal and Djokovic. Play 75-80 % the first week. If he survives it without too much tear and wear, why not go for it?

 

[cc0509]

I just do not want him to damage his chances on grass by going deep at RG and have nothing to show for it. He will still have good mindset starting grass. He will be back on his favourite surface. He will be more confident there in beating Rafa, Novak and Andy. He can build steadily by getting good matches in against lower ranked players first. Then attack while still very fresh at Wimbledon. CYGS is just not happening. 19 can happen and I want him to hold record at Wimbledon this year.

Right. He will undoubtedly lose to somebody at RG and that can erode some of his confidence moving forward for Wimbledon. Skip RG and keep that aura of invincibility for Wimbledon IMO!

 

[cc0509]

I'm not sure how anyone can miss the chance of a CYGS, no matter how small is.

The chances of a CYGS at his age are so infinitesimal it's ridiculous! Some Fed fans are being crazy IMO.

 

[wangs78]

I think he should skip RG as well. Maybe enter if Rafa and Nole get injured and pull out. That would sure look opportunistic and unbefitting of the great Roger, but c'mon, if that happened it would be too good to pass up!

 

[SpinDr.]

Alternate headline: "Fed MAY play the French."

 

[Hitman's Gurl]

Right. He will undoubtedly lose to somebody at RG and that can erode some of his confidence moving forward for Wimbledon. Skip RG and keep that aura of invincibility for Wimbledon IMO!

Agree! I do not want Rafa, Novak or Andy to beat him at RG and get some kind of mental edge going into Wimbledon. He needs to keep momentum going into the biggest tournament of the year for him. Please get it right Roger!

 

[AceSalvo]

Most likely Fed has a clear idea of how much his body can take having gone through 3 straight finals win.

Say he gets a good draw in RG, he will still have to put the effort if he wants to go all the way and he knows RG is all about the "grind". Having gone through that and not winning the title, will he be ready to go deep at SW19?? I think he already has the answer to that along with the stuff that happened last year during clay through Wimb.

There is always next year for RG.

 

[kabob]

Will be weird if he doesn't play it though. Skipping Masters is one thing (he's done that plenty of times) but never before he has ever skipped playing a Slam unless, like last year, he is injured. Will be very surprised if he doesn't play RG!

Is he allowed to skip Slams any way without a valid excuse? I know he's exempt from playing all other events but I didn't think that extended to Slams!

I'm normally not one to feed the trolls but I think he can skip a Grand Slam without citing an injury because he's Roger Federer. Someone as congenial as him, along with being the biggest ambassador to tennis, earns some leeway after nearly two decades on the tour. He has clout.

 

[Big_Dangerous]

I'm normally not one to feed the trolls but I think he can skip a Grand Slam without citing an injury because he's Roger Federer. Someone as congenial as him, along with being the biggest ambassador to tennis, earns some leeway after nearly two decades on the tour. He has clout.

I honestly hope he doesn't do it though, I don't like the precedent it sets. I think ultimately he'll realize that unless he's truly injured and doesn't feel he can compete at a high level, he'll show up and play in Paris.

 

[beltsman]

Running scared from Bull.

 

[TheMusicLover]

I still think he'll play because he isn't injured or anything so far. Most likely he is being cautious because of what happened last year that forced him to skip and don't wanna repeat that this year.

Voice of reason you are, not for the first time.

How about just wait and see what will happen?
Lord Fedr ain't a Spring Chicken anymore (despite the claims of certain underaged ignorami, or otherwise mentally challenged on this forum ), and if anything, noone knows better how to schedule his appearances better than anyone else than him and his team - wasn't AO 2017 (and the follow-ups at IW and Miami) already proof of that enough?

There's no point in chasing another #1 ATP ranking for Feds, his resume is already pretty convincing in that department.
If anything, I'd like to see him have a good shot at Wimbledon 2017 and perhaps the USO too - but RG is a goner for him, and he knows that very well himself, regarding the fact that he's been able to do *zilch* at any of the clay court tournaments in the past couple of years.

It really boggles my mind to see folks wanting Fed to drain himself out - perhaps - playing RG, and most likely missing out of the grass season as a result of that bad decision.
End of story: he and his team know best.

 

[Djokovic2011]

I'll be surprised if he skips Rome, let alone RG.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

He will play.

 

[Meles]

Right. He will undoubtedly lose to somebody at RG and that can erode some of his confidence moving forward for Wimbledon. Skip RG and keep that aura of invincibility for Wimbledon IMO!

Wise decision after the pain of last year. Probably shouldn't overplay on grass either and forget about Stuttgart.

 

[Prabhanjan]

If he *WINS* Wimbledon, expect a retirement announcement too.

 

[Shaolin]

If he *WINS* Wimbledon, expect a retirement announcement too.

Zero chance of him retiring this year he wins Wimbledon.

 

[Fedinkum]

I think Fed has made up his mind already...he will skip French open...shame, he is in his best form, love to see his backhand at work on the clay...poo poo

 

[jussumman]

I didn't know the Swiss had April Fool's on the 15th. Good to know.

 

[NGM]

- Negative side:
There will be not CYGS for Fed.
There will be probably not No1 this year either.
- Positive side:
Energy saved for Wimbledon. Possibility for number 19 increased.
More wins vs Nadal are coming.
No injuries.