Record champion Roger Federer (ATP 8) is looking forward to playing at the NOVENTI OPEN in HalleWestfalen for the 18th time: “I am really glad to be here again, to start at one of my favourite tournaments“, the 39 year old swiz player said on Friday afternoon at a virtual press conference. “I love coming back here every time. It’s a familiar place, with so many good memories”. Federer plays his first match on Monday. His opponent is qualifier Ilya Ivashka from Belarus.
Other than in the many tournament years before, the Maestro doesn’t take the role as favourite for granted at the 28th ATP 500er-grass event (12. bis 20. June): “After two knee operations, a long break, a difficult comeback, I hope to get into the tournament well. If I can succeed that, then a lot is possible. But I can’t lean back and say: It only is about getting past me.“ A good result, perhaps even a triumph at the 28th NOVENTI OPEN in the OWL ARENA would be “a crazy push for the following season and fantastic for my self-confidence.“
Title-holder Federer commented on the very strong opponents at Germanys‘ high-quality tennis competition, at which four further top ten players are starting this year (Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev und Andrey Rublev): “This is an impressive draw. I have already been surprised, who is here, and, who is already on the practice court“ Federer was greeted by tournament director Ralf Weber on Thursday afternoon and didn’t waste time to get some training done with, amongst others, Japan’s ace Kei Nishikori: “I feel at home playing on grass straight away. I simple have a good feeling automatically, I don’t need much time to get used to it.” He stated that he would now slowly, but surely increase the intensity, to be prepared for the challenges to come: “I am very satisfied about how I performed at the French Open, on how my body recovered afterwards. That takes some pressure off me here in Halle, too“, Federer, who has a so-called „Lifetime Contract“ at the tournament (he only plays at the NOVENTI OPEN in this seasons week), started in 2000 as a highly traded young player in HalleWestfalen.
Back then, he went straight to the quarter finals, then lost against the experienced US-American Michael Chang. Over a period of two decades the Swiss became the most formative player personality of the NOVENTI OPEN, and an ambassador of the tournament for fans, the media, and colleagues. 13 times Federer reached the finals, winning 2019 for the tenth time, then against the Belgian David Goffin. “Halle has been a key tournament in my carrier. It has also showed me the way to being successful in Wimbledon“, Federer said. In 2003 Federer had succeeded the Halle/Wimbledon-Double, in that season he won at the Halle ATPtournament against Nicolas Kiefer. From 2003 until the semi-finals in 2009 the now 39-year-old won 29 matches in a row, before losing against Lleyton Hewitt in the finals. His balance sheet in Halle is as follows: 68:7- wins, prize money: 2,914 Mio. Dollar.
Federer should be, despite the circumstances of his start here, an extremely dangerous opponent for all competitors in HalleWestfalen. “Everything goes on grass. You can lose quickly twice at the tournaments. Or you can play for the title“, he said during the conversation with the international journalists. His trainer Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia), a former world class man, was surprised at training, Federer stated, “how well and naturally I hit the ball. It probably is because of the many successes I was able to achieve on grass, especially here in Halle.“ He described his goal for the start of the tournament: “I have to be explosive on the court from the start. Be open-minded. All in all simple exempt.“
