Roger Federer’s much awaited comeback from knee surgery is scheduled to be at the upcoming Monte Carlo Open, one of only two ATP 1000 titles he has not won. The Tennis Review previews his comeback and predicts how far he will go.
This is Federer’s first time back from Surgery in his 18 year career
There have been injuries and comebacks such as in late 2005 and in 2014, but Federer managed to get through an 18 year career without a single surgery until undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on the 3rd of February in Switzerland.
Federer was originally scheduled to return at the Miami Open but had to pull out with flu
That withdrawal- made after the draw had been done and Federer had a potential opening match versus Juan Martin del Potro- was quite a disappointment with both men being, arguably, two of the most popular players on tour.
Fortunately, Federer has been looking good practicing in Monte Carlo, and the world No.3 looks to be having some fun, too.
Well, the 1st tweener of the tournament…right? ✨👏🐾 @rogerfederer @theljubicic D-7 MC pic.twitter.com/HwPEZCCw7H
— Erika Tanaka (@ErikaTanaka_) April 2, 2016
Oh Captain SEV ! Welcome Back ! ☺Do not be jealous @rogerfederer 😍 pic.twitter.com/UdkWzxHU2q
— norinchi (@norinchi_df) April 4, 2016
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Sunshine on a cloudy day ☀️🌻 @rogerfederer @theljubicic #LeRoiSoleil D-7 MC pic.twitter.com/9cNsSSHaMf
— Erika Tanaka (@ErikaTanaka_) April 2, 2016
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Federer has never lifted the Monte Carlo trophy but he has been runner-up four times (2006-8 to Nadal, 2014 to Wawrinka).
Monte Carlo is one of two ATP 1000 tournaments Federer has not managed to win, the other being Rome.
The venue is, however, a good choice for a comeback considering it is said to be, surface wise, the closest to Roland Garros, and Federer is sure to get plenty of support in front of the tennis savvy crowd. Federer will also receive support of sorts from the surface with clay being the kindest surface on the knees.
Federer has been in contention for the title, reaching four finals, but he has been beaten three times by Nadal, and once by Wawrinka, who also beat him in the 2009 Monte Carlo quarter-finals.
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Overall, Federer has a 28-12 record in Monte Carlo and has beaten the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Marin Cilic, David Nalbandian, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer and Michael Chang at the event.
Besides Nadal and Wawrinka, the other players to beat Federer in Monte Carlo are Vincent Spadea, Jiri Novak, Sebastien Grosjean, David Nalbandian, Richard Gasquet, Jurgen Melzer and Gael Monfils.
Watch highlights of the Wawrinka-Federer 2014 Monte Carlo final below.
Last year, Federer lost to Gael Monfils in straights in the round of 16
That loss to Monfils was not that much of a surprise considering the match-up and their recent encounters before the contest. In 2014, Monfils led Federer by two sets to one and held match point in the US Open last eight, beat Federer in straight sets on clay in the Davis Cup final, and had two other wins over the Swiss (Paris ’10, Shanghai ’13).
Watch Federer praticing at Monte Carlo this week in the video below
Federer is in Novak Djokovic’s half of the draw
The last time Federer and Djokovic met in the Monte Carlo semis was in 2014 when Federer won in straight sets.
Federer has a bye in the first round and is drawn to play either Thomaz Bellucci or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second. Federer leads Bellucci 2-0, but their matches, played in Indian Wells and Basel in 2012, have always gone three sets.
Federer leads Garcia-Lopez 3-0, but they have not played since Wimbledon 2009.
Roberto Bautista Agut is drawn to await in the last sixteen. Federer leads him 4-0 and has never dropped a set in any of their meetings.
But there are a couple of players lurking in Federer’s section of the draw who could make Federer’s return to the tour trickier. Albert Ramos Vinolas plays Bautista Agut in 1st round and if he can get past the 14th seed and then win another round to make the last 16, that could pose Federer some problems. It was Ramos who defeated Federer in his opening match in Shanghai last season.
Jeremy Chardy is another potentially difficult player in that section of the draw- the Frenchman beat Federer the last time he returned to the tour on clay, after a break for the birth of his sons, in Rome 2014.
Tsonga is seeded to meet Federer in the last eight. Those two have had some memorable matches and the Frenchman, who has five wins over Federer in 16 matches, is more than capable of defeating Federer if he hits form. The Frenchman has been up and down this season but did beat Dominic Thiem on his way to the last eight of Indian Wells where he took Djokovic to two tiebreaks.
Federer could also meet Gasquet in the last eight- the Frenchman won their 2007 Monte Carlo quarter-final meeting in a final set tiebreaker. Gasquet also beat Federer on clay in another final set tiebreaker in the last sixteen in Rome in 2011. Those are Gasquet’s only two wins over Federer in 17 meetings- could he get a 3rd of they meet in the last eight next week?
If Federer makes it to the last four and meets Djokovic, that match will be their first on Clay since their final meeting in Rome last season which Federer lost 4-6, 3-6.
Considering that Federer would have three matches won, and would be feeling good if he gets past Tsonga or Gasquet, the Swiss might have a chance against Djokovic who is coming off another epic winning streak after the season’s first quarter.
If a refreshed, confident and hungry Federer can catch a sub par Djokovic on a sunny day in Monte Carlo before an excitable crowd, then we might see a very positive return to the tour for Roger Federer.
Win or lose, if Federer is playing on the semi-finals day of the Monte Carlo Open, tennis and Federer’s fans win whatever happens.
The Star & The Future Star @rogerfederer#zverev#MonteCarloRolex D-6 MC pic.twitter.com/ZjoJ1rOaY5
— Erika Tanaka (@ErikaTanaka_) April 4, 2016
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