Google News 'Roger Federer is an extremely difficult opponent to have', says legend
by SIMONE BRUGNOLI | VIEW 2037
Under the Miami sun, Roger Federer will not be there. The reigning champion (in 2019 he beat Isner, last year he did not play for the pandemic) will not defend the title in the Florida Masters 1000 (from March 24 to April 4), the only seasonal round of the American Sunshine Double, given that Indian Wells is currently suspended pending a new location, if there is one.
Federer, on the other hand, from the moment he announced his return to Doha (from Monday) after renouncing Australia, has set the seasonal objectives on the great summer events, from Wimbledon to the Tokyo Olympics up to the US Open in September.
And it does not matter what points he will lose as a result of this choice, the ranking is still frozen and above all such a prolonged absence (last match on 30 January 2020) requires a lot of caution and sip commitments.
It was unlikely, therefore, that the Divine would undergo a tour de force of three tournaments in a row (after Doha he will play in Dubai) with a long air travel incorporated, without considering that in Miami, a very high level tournament, the risk was to face suffered a very challenging opponent.
Recently, Goran Ivanisevic voiced his opinion on Federer, now that his return is imminent. He feels it would be wrong to write the eight-time Wimbledon winner off. The former Croatian player is aware of the threat the Swiss ace can possess.
Goran believes Roger can be as effective as ever at Wimbledon and at the US Open.
Goran Ivanisevic voiced his opinion on Federer
The 2001 Wimbledon winner said, “I have played against Roger Federer and I have coached against Federer.
One thing I have learned is that you should never write him off, so I won’t do it now. He is always dangerous, particularly at Wimbledon and to a lesser extent at the US Open. If he is playing, that means that he is ready and when he is ready, he is an extremely difficult opponent to have" - Goran Ivanisevic said.
Coming back to Federer, over the years, he’s created an identity for himself that remains unmatched. However, with time passing by, his rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have come close to dethroning the Swiss star from his throne.
Nadal won the French Open last year, and in doing so, he equaled Roger’s record of holding twenty Grand Slams. In the current week, Djokovic equaled Federer’s record of holding the number one ranking for 310 weeks.
