FEDERER OPTS OUT OF FRENCH OPEN

ROGER FEDERER withdrew from the French Open last night in a decision likely to have a far greater impact on Wimbledon than Roland Garros. The 35-year-old Swiss was never likely to be a serious factor in the clay-court Grand Slam after absenting himself from this spring’s main tournaments on the red dirt. And his choice to skip Paris for a second consecutive year clearly means he believes a 19th Grand Slam title is within his grasp at SW19. Federer has built a 19-1 record so far in 2017 after triumphing at the Australian Open and winning back-to-back Masters

events at Indian Wells and Miami before taking a break in April. Now he’ll feel it’s not worth puncturing that renewed aura at Roland Garros where he’s not reached a semi-final since 2012. ‘I’ve been working hard, on and off the court, to play on the tour for years to come,’ said Federer. ‘I feel it’s best to skip the clay court season this year and prepare for the grass and hard court seasons. ‘The start to the year has been magical, but I recognise that scheduling will be the key to my longevity. ‘We concluded that playing one event on clay was not in my best interests for the rest of the season.’ Federer plans to play the grass-court ATP event in Stuttgart, followed by Halle (concurrent with the Aegon Championships at Queen’s). Having given himself a head start, it’s unlikely anyone will be better prepared for Wimbledon in July. Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova clinched a place in Wimbledon qualifying as she amassed enough ranking points after reaching the Italian Open second round — with a 6-4, 6-2 win over American Christina McHale. Three more Rome victories for the Russian will remove the wildcard debate altogether. Britain’s Kyle Edmund also reached round two in the men’s after beating Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-4. World No 1 Andy Murray faces Italian Fabio Fognini tonight after receiving a bye.