I have a very good chance again: Federer
23 Jun 2014 4:57 AM IST
A year after having his ‘butt kicked’ at Wimbledon, a fitter and healthier Roger Federer was back at the All England Club on Saturday eager to kick butt himself over the next fortnight.
Little-known Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky enjoyed more than 15 minutes of fame after he condemned the seven-times champion to a brutal second-round defeat last June. That result not only ended Federer’s remarkable run of reaching 36 consecutive grand slam quarter-finals or better dating back to 2004, it was also the first time in eight years he had lost to a rival ranked outside the top 100.
Though he did not let on then, the Swiss master now admits the bewitching racket skills that had wowed fans from London to South Africa and Melbourne to New York temporarily lost their magic in June 2013. ‘It’s a pleasure being healthy and really fit and eager to give it a go again. I feel I have a very good chance again this year. I hope to utilise my fitness. I’m really coming in with a much better feeling than maybe the last year, for instance. I had too many hiccups leading into Wimbledon and probably ... winning Halle (just before Wimbledon) ... I think masked the problems I was playing with, the way I was playing,’ said Federer.
Little-known Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky enjoyed more than 15 minutes of fame after he condemned the seven-times champion to a brutal second-round defeat last June. That result not only ended Federer’s remarkable run of reaching 36 consecutive grand slam quarter-finals or better dating back to 2004, it was also the first time in eight years he had lost to a rival ranked outside the top 100.
Though he did not let on then, the Swiss master now admits the bewitching racket skills that had wowed fans from London to South Africa and Melbourne to New York temporarily lost their magic in June 2013. ‘It’s a pleasure being healthy and really fit and eager to give it a go again. I feel I have a very good chance again this year. I hope to utilise my fitness. I’m really coming in with a much better feeling than maybe the last year, for instance. I had too many hiccups leading into Wimbledon and probably ... winning Halle (just before Wimbledon) ... I think masked the problems I was playing with, the way I was playing,’ said Federer.
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