Surprise, surprise - Federer plays Gstaad and Hamburg!

Roger Federer is trying to move on from his disappointment by filling his diary with comforts. He’s just announced his next tournament will be the Swiss Open in Gstaad, his home tournament, and the event which gave him his first wild card entry (and once presented him with a cow as a prize in honour of his first Wimbledon success). He has also made a point of entering the German Open at Hamburg, an event of which he says he has ‘fond memories’.

From the Wimbledon web-site.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/blogs/2013-07-03/201307031372864350108.html

Confirmed here - http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/tennis/schedule.html

WTF, he is playing Clay after Grass, and before HC?  

Actually he was partying a lot and the result completely out of shape, for a 31/32 year old in this physical era he simply can't afford it, so rather than partying and meaning less practice if he could play some tournament it well work him back to form and the tournaments can make some revenue as well, best of all he can collect some titles to attempt No.2 of all time. 

So in every sense it makes some meaning, wise decision in my view.

He wouldn't be happy if Nadal now entered those too!

I suspect he wants to gain the confidence out of winning again ahead of the US HC series, and he hasn't played THAT much in recent months.

No HC tournies left to prepare? Clay? Ewww.

There's been a little discussion about this on another thread. To my mind it heralds a change in attitude from Fed - it's not the action of a man who is 100% concentrated on preparing himself to sweep up in the big tournaments of the US HC series. It is the action of a family man who wants to play, but is prepared to compromise on the best surface to stay closer to home, and who is probably slightly changing his focus from his dominant years. I was tempted to think it might be a valedictory tour - that's not completely impossible - but on reflection it is more likely to try at seeing how he could enjoy a different type of focus to the narrow focus on the most important tournaments in his relentless quest for Slams and a high ranking that preserves his position as a top seed. When I last looked I thought I noticed that this year, for the first time in ages, his website "schedule" does not have the WTF at the end of it.

I agree with barrystar and fair play to Roger

We've had 10 years (and more) or wonderful Tennis off him - let him do what he wants. He should be given the 'freedom of tennis' i.e. his points should be averaged out over the last couple if years and guaranteed

Think he'lll do a Sampras and win Wimbledon next year and then retire

Good points Barry, very much agree. The fact he wants to enter those events actually tells you a lot about how much he enjoys playing on clay - after all, lets not forget the guy is raised on the stuff, its in his tennis DNA. I was walking around Basel only a few weeks ago and 2-3 local clubs I walked past near the Rhine were all clay.

It's also shows us that he probably wants to play on for some time, cherry picking events he actually likes playing in rather than being subservient to the needs of the ATP ranking system.

Anyway, good news for me if it helps ensure he gets to WTF...assuming he does ok in both events of course! And by ensuring he can get to WTF maybe it's a sign he feels he has a good chance of winning it? Good for him that's he doing this and just basically enjoying his tennis - why not, he's played all his life to keep achieving things, this is almost like Federer unplugged!

I've said for 18 months now that I think he'll retire at Basel Indoors 2014...where it all started for him in 1998, and where he first tasted the tour as a ballboy (this assumes he wont qualify for WTF14...if he does then he'll bow out there instead IMO).

Would be good if he wins WTF this year and W next.

I think he still has a good shot indoors...he also might have learnt a few things from Stakhovsky about how he could play Wimbledon next year. I don't think he would want to retire this year having bombed out of Wimb so early, he'll definitely want another bite of the cherry there. If Sampras could win USO2002 being much more washed up than Federer, then why can't Federer have one last slam hurrah?

Anyway and HOWEVER....talk of retirement is now tempered by seeing Haas doing so well into his 35th year. If Roger loves the game as much as he's now showing then maybe he'll just keeping entering the odd events up to Rio2016...it's not as if his Olympic place is up for grabs with Swiss up comers and Marco Chiudinelli is same age as Roger.

As Mark Twain said..."the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated".

Roger doing what Haas / Youzny / Verdasco (maybe) and Hewitt are achieving is still a million miles below what he used to achieve

For instance, none have reached a slam SF in their 'twilight' comeback

It's a good move. He needs to show a proper commitment to the tour. Going part time is hurting him.

I like what it tells me about his aims.

Federer hasn't played enough matches this year. He needs to play more simple as that. He is doing the right thing.

laverfan. I'm surprised at your Poll. I thought you were the 606v2 defender of players rights to respect.

I am not sure whether he is using the tournaments for confidence and to play himself into form, or whether he is beginning to look at playing a different schedule in the twilight of his career.

For whatever reason, it will be great to see him back on the courts - he has usually made pretty smart long term career decisions and I don't think that is going to change anytime soon.

hawkeye wrote:Federer hasn't played enough matches this year. He needs to play more simple as that. He is doing the right thing.

I understand his hunger and desire to stay at the top.

hawkeye wrote:laverfan. I'm surprised at your Poll. I thought you were the 606v2 defender of players rights to respect.

I still have enormous respect for him, but of late, his scheduling is not the same standard that is a standard bearer for others to follow. The fiasco with Basel comes to mind. Nadal, for example, (I will get chastised for this) or Murray or Djokovic have shown better scheduling than TMF, of late.

lydian wrote:He wouldn't be happy if Nadal now entered those too!

I suspect he wants to gain the confidence out of winning again ahead of the US HC series, and he hasn't played THAT much in recent months.

Well if Nadal enters the actual motto is spoiled.  

1]His confidence won't be the same
2]Tournament which wants a big name got 2 now, so he won't be the main attraction alone.

So if they irritate Federer by needlessly inviting Nadal into these tournaments then Fed would lose in the very 1st /2nd round and would never consider to pay a visit back.  

lydian wrote:
I've said for 18 months now that I think he'll retire at Basel Indoors 2014...where it all started for him in 1998, and where he first tasted the tour as a ballboy (this assumes he wont qualify for WTF14...if he does then he'll bow out there instead IMO).

Yup I believe the same  

I wonder if it's his farewell tour ?