Federer looks at 2017 goals after ‘dream start’

Swiss legend wins at Indian Wells

The latest instalment of Roger Federer’s “fairytale” return to the top of the men’s game – victory in the BNP Paribas Open – has left him reassessing his goals.

The 35-year-old’s career was in question last year after a knee injury saw him miss the second half of the season, but he produced a stunning comeback win in January when he claimed an 18th grand slam title with victory at the Australian Open.

And arguably the game’s greatest player followed that up in Indian Wells, beating countryman Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 in Sunday’s final.

It sees him move up to six in the world, putting him well ahead of schedule having targeted a return to the top eight by Wimbledon in July.

“I am the champion here and it is a beautiful feeling,” Federer said.

“It is maybe not as surprising as Australia but still unbelievably surprising for me that I was able to back it up here in America.

“I have totally exceeded my expectations, my goal was to be top eight by Wimbledon. I have time now and I can go and sit back. From that stand point it is an unbelievable start to the year.

“It could have been so different. If I had lost in the first round in Australia I would have been 35th in the world so it is a dream start.”

With Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic out of this week’s Miami Open due to elbow injuries, a strong performance could see Federer close the gap on them further, with both the top two defending a huge amount of ranking points in the next few months.

The Swiss, who has now won at Indian Wells five times, has not topped the rankings since 2012.