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TENNIS
Roger Federer’s Fighting Spirit is Still There
But he decided not to risk his recovery at the Roland Garros any longer.
Let me say this first: tennis without an audience still sucks. The crowd is such an essential element to the sport, and without it, it just doesn’t feel whole. That’s particularly true when any of the Big Three plays on the center court. Which is what Roger Federer did on Saturday night for nearly four hours.
He faced Dominic Koepfer for the first time and had to fight hard to beat the German in four sets (7–6(5), 6–7(3), 7–6(4), 7–5). I don’t doubt it was the type of match Federer needed to regain confidence and test what his body can take at thirty-nine years old. But that’s just it: there’s a limit and risk involved at this age, especially after two knee surgeries. He has to play his cards right if he wants to be a serious competitor in the grass-court season.
So after consulting with his team, Federer decided to pull out of the French Open and give himself more time to prepare for Halle.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s a little disappointed not seeing how deep Roger could’ve gone on clay this year. But it was the right decision to withdraw. Realistically, Federer isn’t quite ready to compete with Djokovic or Nadal on the…
