Retaining No.1 spot ‘mini-goal’ for Federer
Swiss focuses on Miami after Indian Wells loss
>> MIAMI: Roger Federer said retaining his world No.1 ranking is no more than a “mini-goal” as he prepares his bid to defend the ATP Miami Open title.
The 36-year-old Swiss star needs to advance to the quarter-finals in Florida to hold on to his No.1 ranking, or face being supplanted by old rival Rafael Nadal in top spot.
However Federer, who was beaten by Juan Martin Del Potro in last Sunday’s Indian Wells final, said he is not attaching too much importance to hanging on to his ranking.
“The No.1 ranking is in my head a little bit, but no more than that,” Federer said. “It’s a mini-goal. It would be nice to stay there but it’s no more important than that.
“You have to win matches to go far here. Going far enough to stay No.1, it helps my motivation to have a goal. But even if I don’t manage it, it’s not the end of the world.”
Federer will launch his Miami campaign today against a qualifier.
Federer, winner of an incredible 20 Grand Slam singles titles, meanwhile spoke admiringly of Del Potro’s rehabilitation into the tennis circuit’s winners circle following a careerthreatening wrist injury.
“I can only look from far away and think, ‘I wonder how it was for him.’ Hard to imagine how — most important about having had surgeries, I guess, and being injured is the doubts you have. Are you ever going to come back? And overcoming that fear and gaining confidence again,” Federer said.
“It’s such a nice story because he finally did it, but he had to do it the hard way, put himself out there, knowing he was not going to win all the matches he was going to play.
“It’s tough to do that, you know. That deserves a lot of respect, in my opinion, especially knowing what level he can achieve as a player.”
Federer said he had already moved on from the defeat in Indian Wells, saying he was due a loss after a successful 2017.
“Didn’t take me a whole lot of time to get over it, to be honest, because I felt like it could have gone either way,” Federer said.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t on the winner’s side because maybe I have had enough luck throughout the last 14 months on my side of the court, so it’s OK to lose some.
“I felt that also Juan Martin had to earn it. He had to play good to get it. Then you kind of move on with it.”
HALEP WINS TOUGH MATCH
World No.1 Simona Halep battled back to eliminate France’s Oceane Dodin 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday and reach the third round of the WTA Miami Open.
Qualifying lucky loser Dodin led 4-2 in the third set, powered by punishing groundstrokes that at times baffled the top-seeded Romanian, before Halep roared back for the triumph in her first match after an opening bye.
“It was a crazy match,” Halep said. “I didn’t know where the ball is coming, and I had to pay attention to every shot she hit. But I won it and I’m happy.”
Halep will remain atop the WTA rankings no matter how she fares in the Miami fortnight, but Dodin served notice her path will not be an easy one.
“This year, I’ve had many tough matches, so I’m used to it,” Halep said. “I just wanted to stay focused, not give up, and in the end I won the match. I was fighting to the end and that was the most important thing today.”
Halep, a runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki in January’s Australian Open, outlasted Dodin after two hours and six minutes despite capturing the final four games.
“It’s tough to play against an opponent like this because she hits very strong and you never know where the ball is coming,” Halep said.