17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will reportedly resume testing the new 98-inch frame racquet which he used for a couple of tournaments after the Wimbledon tournament with mixed results. Back then, he had to revert back to his old 90-inch racquet since a back injury restricted his movements. He would go on to reach the semifinals of a claycourt tournament in Hamburg but lost his opening match in Gstaad a week after.
“I will, for sure. Because this summer’s tests don’t tell us much because I wasn’t able to play properly in Hamburg and Gstaad because of my back problems,” Federer said.
Federer has opted to train hard for the 2014 season. The Swiss tennis superstar did not participate in exhibition tournaments this part of the year and was seen training in Dubai for the upcoming season.
“I can see no reason why I shouldn’t play better again in 2014, and have some great wins,” Federer said.
“I have still got some major goals, because I certainly haven’t forgotten how to play tennis; after all, I was still number one in the fall of 2012, and at the end of the season, once my back was better, my results also improved. I reached the final in Basel and the semi-finals at Paris-Bercy and the World Tour Finals, and beat top-10 players without playing my best tennis. If my serve or my forehand had been a bit more solid, the results could have been much better.”
Federer agreed with Novak Djokovic’s assessment that the Swiss player had struggled with movement that past few months.
“What he says is true,” Federer said. “But it would also be strange if I could move wonderfully and at my best after a year when I couldn’t train enough and in between times lost quite a bit of my self-confidence. I don’t feel that I am as fast as in my best years, either. But despite that I can still compete with the best. That makes me feel positive.”
