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ROGER FEDERER

Federer casts doubt over Davis Cup future in 2016

Roger Federer defeated Thiemmo de Bakker in three sets to lift Switzerland past the Netherlands in Sunday's Davis Cup tennis playoffs in Geneva but then cast doubt on his future in the tournament.

Federer casts doubt over Davis Cup future in 2016
Federer and teammates Marco Chiudinelli (centre) and Stan Wawrinka applaud after Davis Cup playoff win. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Federer defeated de Bakker 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 at the Palexpo indoor court as Switzerland qualified for next years's world group.

But Federer, 34, who led Switzerland to a first Davis Cup title in 2014, then hinted that he was rethinking his future in the tournament after a 16-year career.
   
“My idea was never to win it twice, the idea was always to win it once,” Federer told www.daviscup.com.
   
“I see this tie in isolation,” the Basel native said.

“Next year is an Olympic year,” he said.

“The summer will be very long and packed with highlights. It's all a question of priorities,” Federer said.

“I can't play everything and of course if I do play Davis Cup other things have to drop out.”

Switzerland was knocked out of this year's world group by Belgium when Federer and fellow star Stan Wawrinka were unavailable to play.

With the pair back in the line-up, they opened up a 2-0 lead over the Netherlands in Geneva on Friday before the Swiss dropped a double's match on Saturday.
   
French Open champion Wawrinka toiled to beat de Bakker 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 while Federer, just off his US Open final loss to Novak Djokovic, eased past world number 436 Jesse Huta Galung 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
   
“He moves so fast on the court — he's like a ghost,” said Huta Galung of Federer.
   
De Bakker was left to regret a dramatic slump against Wawrinka having led 3-0 in the fourth set.
   
“I lost my head,” admitted de Bakker.

Meanwhile, Great Britain and Belgium on Sunday secured shock places in November's Davis Cup final. 

Britain made their first final since 1978 with victory over Australia in Glasgow thanks to world number three Andy Murray's 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 win over Bernard Tomic in the first reverse singles.
   
With two-time Grand Slam winner Murray in their ranks they will start as favourites to win a first Davis Cup since 1936 when they go to Belgium for the November 27-29 final.
   
Belgium reached their first title match since 1904 with a tense 3-2 win over Argentina in Brussels with Steve Darcis, the world number 64, needing a fourth match point to defeat Federico Delbonis 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).
   
When Belgium last made the final in 1904 their opponents were also Britain who swept to a 5-0 triumph.

Nine-time winners Britain last won the Davis Cup in 1936 when Fred Perry and Bunny Austin sealed a 3-2 victory over Australia at Wimbledon.
   
“Winning for your country and your team-mates means a lot,” Murray told the BBC.

“The crowd were unbelievable from the first ball to the last,” he said. 

“I didn't feel great the whole weekend to be honest, I've been struggling with my back, but I just tried to disguise it.”
   
It is a remarkable turnaround for a British team that have risen from being on the verge of relegation to Europe/Africa Group III in 2010 to being finalists in 2015.
   
In Brussels, world number 15 David Goffin kept Belgium afloat against Argentina with a routine 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 win over Diego Schwartzman to level their semi-final at 2-2.
   
Darcis, 31, then sealed victory for a Belgian side which had knocked out defending champions Switzerland in the first round.
   
“It's one of the biggest moments of my career. The atmosphere was unbelievable. Inside it was so hard to stay calm,” said Darcis who famously dumped Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon in 2013.

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ROGER FEDERER

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?

Roger Federer is talking optimistically about returning to his "highest level" after knee surgery, but does tennis have to start adjusting to a future without the Swiss star?

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?
Is it the end of the line for Roger? Photo: Martin BUREAU / AFP

The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that he would be sidelined until 2021 after his second operation in a matter of months.

Federer remains upbeat, tweeting: “I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 percent ready to play at my highest level.”

In some ways 2020 is a good season to miss after the coronavirus ravaged the tennis schedule. Writing Federer off in the past has proved dangerous.

He returned from a six-month injury lay-off to claim the Australian Open in 2017, winning his eighth Wimbledon crown later that year.

But he will be 40 in 2021 and is now heading into uncharted territory.

Despite his groaning trophy cabinet, there are two factors that will motivate Federer to keep going — the risk of losing his grip on the men's Grand Slam title record and a missing Olympics singles gold medal.

Rafael Nadal has 19 majors, just one shy of Federer's mark and Djokovic has 17.

Spain's Nadal will be fancied to draw level with Federer at the French Open, rescheduled for September, while few would bet against Djokovic winning in New York weeks earlier.

In April, Federer said he was “devastated” when Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Last year he fell agonisingly short at the All England Club, failing to convert two championship points on his own serve against Djokovic.

The Wimbledon grass probably remains his best chance of adding to his Grand Slam collection — he has not won the US Open since 2008 and his only title at Roland Garros came in 2009.

Even though Federer has slipped from the very pinnacle of the game, he is still a major threat to Nadal and Djokovic.

'Golden' ambitions

Last year, the world number four had a 53-10 win-loss record and he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January in his only tournament this year.

Federer, who is still six ATP titles short of Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 109, has one glaring omission from his CV — the Olympic title.

The Swiss won doubles gold in Beijing in 2008 with compatriot Stan Wawrinka but lost in the singles final to Andy Murray in London four years later.

The postponed Tokyo Games will almost certainly be Federer's last opportunity to complete a career “golden” Grand Slam — he will turn 40 on the day of the closing ceremony next year.

Tennis will feel the loss of the elegant Federer keenly when he walks off the court for the last time.

Djokovic and Nadal have been the dominant forces in recent years but the Swiss remains the biggest draw and last month topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-earning athletes.

His last appearance on court was in front of nearly 52,000 fans — touted by organisers as a world record for tennis — at a charity match against Nadal in Cape Town in February.

Federer is nearly always the crowd favourite wherever he plays and has proved a perfect ambassador for the sport since he won his first Grand Slam title in 2003.

He certainly expects to be back and competitive next year.

“I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season,” he tweeted.

The avalanche of support from his adoring fans showed they would miss him too, but they will have to get used to a time when he is gone for good.

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