Roger Federer and his early exit from the 2021 Halle Open leaves him vulnerable ahead of Wimbledon 2021 which is set to commence from the 28th of June
Roger Federer had arrived at the press conference a couple of hours late. The reason he came to face the media so extensively late is that he found it hard to digest the loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round of the Halle Open, an opponent almost 20 years younger than him. It was nothing less than a shocker as it handed the youngster a memorable win.
It was not how Roger Federer might have envisioned his preparation to kickstart ahead of Wimbledon. The eight-time Wimbledon champion found it challenging to get going at the Roland Garros, withdrawing after just beating Dominik Koepfer in the third round. Federer’s body had not allowed him to continue and the Swiss legend wished not to push himself. It is important to remember he underwent two knee surgeries this year.
Roger Federer Encounters Jitters Ahead Of Wimbledon 2021
Hence, a ninth Wimbledon title was the aim and the road to it was to be supposedly shaped by the Halle Open 2021. Instead, Federer has been forced to leave the tournament with more questions than answers. The Swiss tennis maestro’s dream of winning a record ninth Wimbledon title is not only in jeopardy. But he could also sustain his worst run at the event since 2002.
Roger Federer’s apparent rustiness in the first round against Ilya Ivashka
Roger Federer got his Wimbledon preparations underway by facing the Belarusian Ilya Ivashka in the first round of the 2021 Halle Open. The 39-year old’s rustiness was evident early on when he missed a backhand by misjudging the bounce on the grass court surface. The two-set encounter ended with Federer accumulating 26 unforced errors, while his opponent accounted for 16.
But the 20-time Grand Slam winner raised his game in the tiebreak, stealing the set with some clutch play on the big points. Federer also wasted his three match points, the first of which came at 4-5 when the 27-year old was serving. It was Federer’s first break point as well; however, the Swiss could not capitalize on it as Ivashka struck a volley to save himself.
Federer was able to close out the game in his fourth match point when his opponent struck a forehand on the net. His winning scoreline was 7-6(4), 7-5. Thus, the veteran, despite winning the match in straight sets needed to iron out these chinks if he was to get past tougher oppositions.
Felix Auger-Aliassime puts Roger Federer to the sword
After beating Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-5 in the first round, Felix Auger-Aliassime’s next assignment was locking horns with the grasscourt king. It is essential to note that Roger Federer has 19 grasscourt titles, ten of which have come in the Halle Open. As a 20-time champion with a rich legacy behind him, Federer was expected to edge the Canadian to reach the quarter-finals.
And he made a statement by winning the first set rather comfortably 6-4. The 39-year old, who spoke of his lofty goals for Wimbledon, could not maintain the consistency, leaving aside some crunching return in the first set. The Swiss, known for his strong return, could not keep that reputation as he managed only 14 points out of the 69 from the Canadian’s serve.
Moreover, Federer could not capitalise on his own serves either as he was on the receiving end of 15 break points and got broken thrice. Incidentally, it was the highest number of break points faced by the Swiss in a three-set grasscourt encounter. The previous highest was 11 against Olivier Rochus at Halle 15 years ago.
His forehands were also weak enough to put the Canadian under pressure. Federer consistently keeping them short gave Felix enough time to pounce on them and nail forehands of his own effectively. As a result, he succumbed to 6-3 and 6-2 in the next two sets.
Roger Federer will participate in Wimbledon 2021 with very limited match practice under his belt
Before crashing out of the Halle Open 2021 in only two rounds only, the world number eight featured in only three matches at the Roland Garros. Federer, aware of his limited match practice ahead of the Wimbledon, admitted in the post-match press conference to having a negative attitude in the dying moments of the match against Auger-Aliassime. He expressed his disappointment at the same.
"Straight away, head up, look forward. Just stay positive and then onto the next goal, which is Wimbledon" 💪@rogerfederer #NoventiOpen pic.twitter.com/foM6ozQIdj
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 17, 2021
But he refused to make any snap decisions, before announcing he would return home, prior to leaving for the Wimbledon. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that there are cracks in Federer’s gameplay, including his flawed foot movement, return game, and unpredictability in serving. Rafael Nadal pulling out of the event might have reduced a small chunk of competition. However, only time will tell how much distance Federer can reach in the Wimbledon this year.