TENNIS NEWS – ROGER FEDERER IS HOPING TO RETURN IN ROME, WHERE A DIFFICULT DRAW AWAITS, DRAWS POSTED HERE

Written by: Staff on 6th May 2016

TENNIS NEWS - ROGER FEDERER IS HOPING TO RETURN IN ROME, WHERE A DIFFICULT DRAW AWAITS, DRAWS POSTED HERE

epa05287076 Roger Federer of Switzerland attends a press conference at the Caja Magica court in Madrid, Spain, 02 May 2016. Federer announced that he can't play the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament because of a back injury. EPA/CHEMA MOYA |

By Ricky Dimon

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal are all in a loaded top half of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia bracket. Such was the big news when the draw ceremony was held on Friday evening in Rome. Djokovic and Nadal even find themselves in an incredibly tough quarter that also includes Milos Raonic, Gael Monfils, and Nick Kyrgios.

Djokovic, Nadal, Raonic, and Kyrgios all advanced to the Madrid quarterfinals and both Djokovic and Nadal are still alive in the semis as of Saturday afternoon. Monfils fell early in Madrid, but he recently finished runner-up to Nadal in Monte-Carlo.

Federer’s section is similarly taxing. Current Madrid semifinalist Kei Nishikori is the other recipient of a first-round bye, while Richard Gasquet and Dominic Thiem are also lurking. In the Swiss’ first scheduled match since withdrawing from Madrid because of a back problem, he awaits the winner of an intriguing opener between Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev.

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer hits the ball during a training session for the Mutua Madrid Open at Caja Magica court in Madrid, Spain, 30 April 2016. The Mutua Madrid Open runs from 29 April to 08 May 2016. EPA/Chema Moya

“The goal clearly now is to play there and do well,” Federer said after pulling out of Madrid. “I’ve been playing a lot of practice on clay. I’ve been putting a lot of hours in. I was (there for) 10 days in Monaco before the tournament and played three matches there.… Now, also the last two weeks I was back on the clay even though it was cold in Switzerland. Maybe that didn’t help my back; I’m not sure. But I practiced there for many days, as well.’

“With my experience and the way I feel about big tournaments, if I have (been playing a lot of) matches, great. If I don’t, I trust my game that I’ll be fine, regardless.”

A much more wide open bottom half of the bracket features No. 2 seed Andy Murray, who will kick off his campaign against either Borna Coric or a qualifier. Roberto Bautista Agut is a potential third-round opponent for the Scot, while Tomas Berdych and David Goffin are also in that quarter. Murray just recently thrashed Berdych in Madrid on Friday.

Stan Wawrinka, meanwhile, will likely go up against good friend Benoit Paire in his opening match. If Wawrinka or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stumble early, Paire, David Ferrer, or Fabio Fognini could capitalize on what is by far the weakest section of the draw.