Federer unfazed by tricky draw at Indian Wells
Roger Federer, riding high after an 18th Grand Slam triumph, isn’t rattled by the tennis version of the group of death. The Swiss superstar, whose Australian Open win in January signalled a resurgence after a year disrupted by injury, is drawn in the same quarter with three-time defending champion and second seed Novak Djokovic and Spanish fifth seed Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells ATP Masters.
“Amazing, amazing draw,” said world number one and top seed Andy Murray, who has the luxury of analyzing it from a safe spot on the opposite end of the bracket. “I’ve never seen anything like that, probably it would be one of the toughest sections of a draw of all time.”
Ninth-seeded Federer, however, downplayed the drama of sharing a quarter with Nadal and Djokovic. Among the three of them they have won 12 of the past 13 Indian Wells titles.
To add a little more spice, they are joined by former US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, dangerous Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco, mercurial Australian talent Nick Kyrgios and tenacious teenager Alexander Zverev, who took Nadal to five sets in Melbourne. “Most of the guys you won’t even see, because they’ll eliminate each other,” the unflappable Fed erer said. But he admitted it got his attention when the draw was made.
DAVIS CUP CUT TO THREE-SET RUBBERS
Davis Cup matches will be played over three sets rather than the traditional five, the Interna tional Tennis Federation (ITF) announced Thursday, in an effort to halt the talent drain from the 117-year-old tournament.
Ties could also be played over two days instead of three, the ITF said after their board of directors met in Indian Wells where the ATP and WTA are staging the first Masters event of the season
The Davis Cup has faced increasing calls for reform from players who have often scratched the tournament from their plans claiming the schedule does not dovetail with their careers.