Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer might have been disappointed with his 7-5, 4-6, 3-6 loss to Rafael Nadal at the Cincinnati Masters 2013 quarterfinals on Friday but he said that he’s actually pleased with his progress, especially since he is competing against a formidable player. Nadal would go on to win the Cincinnati Masters 2013 title after defeating American John Isner on Sunday.
“I’m not totally unhappy about the match. I could have played a bit better, but I think I was playing well and tactics were working. Of course, I always have to adjust to faster courts, slower courts when I play Rafa. Plus it is him; it’s the type of game I don’t see very often…
“I’m happy with my progress along the way. Could have won tonight. Should have won tonight, who knows? But at the end, I think Rafa’s confidence and the way he’s playing at the moment got him through. So for me, I think it was a good step in the right direction.”
At this point, Federer said that he’s looking forward to the US Open and aims to finish better from his quarterfinal run last year.
“My mind’s already totally geared into what I’m going to do tomorrow, next day, and the following day, and looking ahead at the US Open. So I’m excited about the next sort of 10 days.”
Federer is a five-time champion at Cincinnati Masters, part of his 21 ATP Masters 1000 title haul in his career.
