ATP Dubai: Roger Federer cancels - shock shock in the Gulf
Roger Federer will not be able to defend his title at the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Dubai. The Swiss canceled due to a knee injury. Organizers and fans had been extremely looking forward to Federer's appearance.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Feb 20, 2020, 03:19 pm
Federer receives the press in Dubai
Just a few weeks ago, Federer had received representatives from the press, radio and television from all over the world in Dubai to talk about the upcoming exhibition fight against Rafael Nadal in Cape Town. Federer also prepared for the first test of the season in December and again in January on the Gulf, his guest appearance at the Australian Open. In Melbourne he was eliminated in the semi-final against Novak Djokovic , his eternal nemesis in the recent past. Federer then no longer contested a competitive game, and his return to the tour was planned for Dubai. And here he could have met Djokovic again, who is now back in 2020 after a few years of abstinence. Would have…
For weeks there had been hardly any tickets available for the entire men's tournament week. In the local Gulf News, a picture of a ticket booth near the stadium was last shown, in which the sign "Sold out" stood for all tournament days of the coming week. "Battle of the Giants: Again", the "Khaleej Times" had reported that Federers and Djokovic's start together could be a historic moment for Dubai and the tournament. Already on Thursday afternoon, however, the first card dealers were spotted around the stadium, who now wanted to sell tickets for the next week - at prices well below the market value that prevailed before Federer's cancellation.