Roger Federer Compares Himself to Rafael Nadal Ahead of Wimbledon Championships 2019

Published 06/17/2019, 9:50 AM EDT

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World Number three, Roger Federer is will be playing for the tenth title in Halle this week and before that, the Swiss shared his insights from the French Open 2019. The 20-time Grand Slam champion reminisced his semi-final match against Rafael Nadal and the match was carried out under turbulent conditions on the Parisian clay.

Roger Federer was delighted to play at Roland-Garros after skipping the past three seasons and he has no regrets in losing to the best clay-courters of all times. His stay in Paris has certainly uplifted his confidence for the grass-court swing.

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“I was really positive about my clay-court swing. I lost against the best clay-court player ever (at Roland Garros), so there is no shame there,” said Roger Federer. “I tried everything I had and unbelievably windy conditions. It was really challenging. I loved it actually, to play Rafa in that situation, the way it was. But I left (Paris)very positive.”

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The nine-time Halle champion, Roger Federer feels that his notion corresponds to that of Rafael Nadal’s sensations on clay. It’s a surface where the Swiss can control everything with ease and according to Roger Federer, there is a lot of scope for experimenting new moves.

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“(Grass) highlights my strength and it maybe hides my weaknesses,” said Roger Federer. “From that standpoint, I can play how I want, on my terms, how I would like. When you feel that way, it is maybe what Rafa feels on the clay… I have all the options and when you have options, it gives you options to win and different tactics you can use against different players. That gives you maybe that little bit more margin you need to stay out of trouble and win matches.” 

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Roger Federer has always been resilient on the turf. Not just on the courts of SW19 where he reached seven consecutive Wimbledon finals, he has altogether won 18 titles during the grass-court season.

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In the quest of his tenth title in Halle, Roger Federer has been drawn to open against the Australian, John Millman who defeated him in the pre-quarters of US Open 2018.

“I feel great, to be honest. I am happy to be on the grass, regardless of if I played good or bad on the clay, or if I didn’t play at all. I always feel happy coming to this surface and this part of the season. I have always loved playing here in Halle for so many years. This is my 17th time playing this event,” Roger Federer continued. 

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Mahalakshmi Murali

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Mahalakshmi Murali joined EssentiallySports in 2018 as a tennis author and has gone on to pen more than 1800 engaging articles, probing into various aspects of the sport and its illustrious players. With her expertise on the sport, Mahalakshmi has interviewed stalwarts from the sport such as Serena WIlliams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Kevin Anderson’s physio, Carlos Costa. Equipped with her vast experience and a keen understanding of the sport, Mahalakshmi now co-heads the tennis department.
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