Roger Federer feels prepared for revenge against Tsitsipas
Roger Federer can kill two birds with one stone in the Dubai final on Saturday: take revenge for the bitter Melbourne end - and celebrate the 100th tournament victory of his career.
by Jörg Allmeroth from Dubai
last edit: Mar 01, 2019, 08:29 pm
When Roger Federer spoke about his tournament perspective in Dubai last Sunday, the magic number naturally also played a role. The number one hundred. The 100th career title that he could get at his second home in the metropolis on the Arabian Gulf. "There is no point in looking so far into the future and saying a lot about it," said Federer at the time, "I have to get to a victory in striking distance first."
Now, six days later, the 37-year-old master player has created the tempting opportunity to write down the anniversary triumph in the history books - and only one more, the young Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, can now prevent Federer's border crossing. The leap into three digits. "It will be a tough test against Tsitsipas, of course it is also the chance to retaliate for the defeat in Melbourne. But I feel ready for the challenge, ”said Federer after his playfully easy 6-2, 6-2 win against Croatian Borna Coric.
Federer: "Had a really good feeling today"
For the first time this week of the tournament, Federer did not send his fans on an emotional roller coaster ride through an emotional roller coaster - instead of having to shiver and shiver, the maestro and all his party fans spent a peaceful evening in the sold-out arena. After the first service game Corics won, Federer took command, hurriedly pulled 5: 1 away and in no second was in distress or need. After 67 minutes, the short shift on the cool, windy Center Court was over. "It was admittedly more difficult to fight against the conditions than against the opponent," said Federer, "it is not easy to feel safe in this lucky lottery with the gusts of wind."
Federer showed in his fourth assignment a quality that had distinguished him over long stretches of his career - namely to increase the pace, the dynamics and the precision of his game when it comes to advanced tournament rounds. "I've always got a little bit better, had a really good feeling today," said Federer. His dominance against the young Croat who last beat him in Halle (in the final) and in Shanghai (in the semifinals) was overwhelming. However, Coric also had three exhausting three-set matches in the bones in the previous rounds, each of which he had won in the tie-break of the last act, the night before with a transformed matchball shortly after one in the quarter-final against Georgians Nikoloz Bassilaschwilli.
Round of 16 knockout in Melbourne was "a horror"
Federer will not give in to the deceptive hope that his opponent Tsitsipas will do as many favors and generously distribute gifts. The Greek fought against Gael Monfils with enormous resistance and persistence in a thrilling semi-final with 4: 6, 7: 6 (7: 4) and 7: 6 (7: 4), in two hours and 59 minutes, but Dubai -Record winner Federer knew afterwards about the special qualities of the sky striker from Hellas: "He has the ability to somehow get out of troubled situations again and again."
Federer was reluctant to be reminded of the Australian Open and his knockout knockout against Tsitsipas: "It was a horror, because I missed opportunities, one breakball after the other." At the same time, Federer made no secret of his respect for the 20th -year-old youngster: “How he kept on course after Melbourne and now also won the title in Marseille is remarkable. That shows its quality. "
And Tsitsipas himself? The prospect of being able to play Federer again has definitely motivated him in the past few days, "even if the legs were sometimes very heavy": "But when you win, you somehow no longer think that you are actually limp In the endgame, too, he is supposed to do it again, forgetting and suppressing his own tiredness: "I want to get everything out again. It would be a very special victory. ”The victory, with which he could become a big spoiler for Federer and felt like all of Dubai.