Rome: Roger Federer insisted Monday his focus at this week’s Italian Open was on getting more match practice on clay ahead of the French Open in two weeks time.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner has not played on the red clay in the Foro Italico since his third round exit in 2016 having finished runner-up the previous year for the fourth time, losing to Novak Djokovic in the final. “Regardless of what happens here, I just think it’s good for me to play matches at this stage,” said world number three Federer before his first match on Wednesday.
He has a first-round bye as the number three seed, and will begin his tournament against Portugal’s Joao Sousa, who battled past American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4) to reach the second round.The 37-year-old’s performance in the Madrid Open last week has boosted his hopes of winning the French Open, a decade after his only title there.
He fell in the quarter-finals on Friday to Dominic Thiem, but twice held match point and for a set and a half was dominant against a player considered among the favourites for Roland Garros after Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. (AFP)