World number five Roger Federer is seen hitting the practice courts in Cincinnati this week, which in a way officially confirms that he will be participating at the Cincinnati Masters 2013 tournament. The Swiss tennis superstar will be entering the event as the defending champion.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion was seen practicing with American tennis pro Denis Kudla and seemed to be in fine shape. He was also seen still using a blacked out racquet which implies that he may still be using the larger 98-inch frame for the hardcourt event.
Federer’s number five ranking is in peril since he won’t be gaining any points if he manages to defend the Cincinnati title. He could drop to as low as number seven prior to the US Open 2013 Championships if Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro post good results at the Montreal Masters and Cincinnati Masters. Federer pulled out of the Rogers Cup which is ongoing this week.
