Federer Playing In Montreal Is Doubtful

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 26th July 2013

Federer Playing In Montreal Is Doubtful

epa03801094 Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts against Daniel Brands of Germany during a second round match at the Suisse Open tennis tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland, 25 July 2013. EPA/PETER SCHNEIDER |

Roger Federer’s participation in the Montreal Masters starting a week from Monday remains in doubt due to back pains which contributed to an opening loss at the Suisse Open. “In the last 7-10 days I could hardly practice, this made it difficult to prepare properly. I decided to play so it’s no excuse,” the 17-time grand slam champion said after a straight-sets second-round loss at home German Daniel Brands.

The Swiss tennis icon was competing in his home event for the first time since winning it nine years ago. The pain, which Federer said started last week in Hamburg and forced him to take anti-inflammatories on the way to the German semi-finals, casts uncertainly on his US Open preparation program.

Federer admitted: “My presence in Montreal is far from assured, I first need to take care of my back. It is a serious injury. The pain is less than Indian Wells (last March). But I will have to heal through exercises and treatment.”

The world No. 5 will make a late decision about traveling to Canada with a month to go before the August 26 start of the US Open. His last three losses at Wimbledon, Hamburg and Gstaad have been among his worst in a decade and a half after going down to a pair of opponents outside the ATP top 100 (Sergiy Stakhovsky at Wimbledon; Federico Delbonis in Hamburg) as well as the 55th-ranked Brands.

“I will have to do a lot of exercises and see how it all feels. My main priority now is to fix my back. I would love to be able to train at 100 per cent, “said Federer, whose only title of 2013 came at Halle last month. I’ll have to see if the rehab is enough to let me play in Montreal. If it is, I’ll go, if not, then it gives me another week.”