TENNIS NEWS – ROGER FEDERER IS IN NEW YORK CITY ON BUSINESS & MAYBE TO CHECK OUT THE NEW ROOF AT THE U.S. OPEN

Written by: Staff on 26th August 2016

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TENNIS NEWS - ROGER FEDERER IS IN NEW YORK CITY ON BUSINESS & MAYBE TO CHECK OUT THE NEW ROOF AT THE U.S. OPEN |

Roger Federer Is In New York And Thinks Djokovic Is The Man To Beat

Roger Federer has been in New York doing the media rounds even though he is reluctantly sitting out the US Open over the next fortnight. But the record-holding 17-times Grand Slam singles event winner has repeatedly been insistent, to anyone that has asked, that he will be fully fit and raring to go at next January’s Australian Open.

Federer, who had a consistent run of 65 straight major events until pulling out of this spring’s French Open but will now have missed two of 2016’s four Grand Slam, events has actually been on court hitting over the past week and he is more than happy with the progress he is making.

“I’m doing well and I’ve been training as much as I possibly could to re-strengthen my quad and my body to keep it in shape,” said Federer, who had surgery on his left knee in February.

“So when I head back into the gym for full-on fitness in the next couple of months, then I’m ready for it. I just hope to be super strong when I come back in January.”

Federer refused to be downcast about missing the New York tournament he won five years in succession between 2004 and 2008. Last year he contested the final against Novak Djokovic and talking about missing out this year, he said: “I don’t see it as the end of something.

“I see it as a beginning to something I’m working for, and when I come back to the Hopman Cup and then to the Australian Open . . . that’s what I’m working for now.”

And he will most certainly be an interested observer of the continuing battle for supremacy at the top of the men’s game between long standing world no.1 Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray who has claimed tennis two biggest prizes in recent months, Wimbledon and the Olympic gold medal.

Regardless of the Scot’s impressive form, winning 22 straight matches until his reserves of energy ran out in Sunday’s Cincinnati-staged Western and Southern Open final against Marin Cilic, Federer still makes Djokovic the favorite in New York.

“It hasn’t really changed my opinion that Novak is the favorite, despite a few tough losses,’ said Federer. ‘He did win in Toronto. He has a great record against Andy and is a great hard court player, you see that in the conditions like here and at the Australian Open.

“I think the dome (the new roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium) will help him as well, as it will be more like Australia. Of course Andy is a great player in the wind, but then so is Novak.

“But I have been very impressed by Andy, what he has done this summer has been incredible. I hope he can keep that going. I think it will be a very exciting US Open and probably a great race between them until the end of the season.”

Topics: Arthur Ashe Stadium, Roger Federer, Tennis News, US Open