By means of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal each of those experiencing problems with injuries within the last six months, Roger Federer has emerged just as before as a genuine contender with the biggest events this year—starting with the 2013 French Open later on this month.
The Grand Slam event at Roland Garros is widely considered as Nadal's event, given the fact your Spaniard has won seven out from the past eight Grand Slams there.
However, with Nadal's body perhaps still not 100 percent, and Djokovic showing earlier within the year that he is usually beatable on clay, the 26-year-old isn't the outright favorite which he usually is.
Federer—with another strong beginning 2013 behind him—was start to garner great support upto a possible French Open bid. And then, with one shocking wipe out to rising Japanese star Kei Nishikori for the ongoing Madrid Open, it seems that bid had been immediately apply to hold.
After all, in case the Fed Express couldn't overcom Nishikori on clay, how will he ever have the capacity to beat Nadal at this French Open? That's simply pure logic, right?
As much as many may wish to say that this is actually proof that Federer's mode is waning and even though many will want to speak about that Federer's still the highest, the reality is this one loss didn't change an item. Not one thing concerning Federer, the French Open or whether he's able of taking down Nadal.
Maybe there most overlooked thing within Federer's defeat is that was his first gameplay on clay all 12 months. He has played with hard courts since September of this, where he played several games for Switzerland around Davis Cup competition next to pretty low competition. You'd have to return to the French Open last year to discover last time in that Federer played a high-level match up on clay.
Now that might not seem like something useful, but the reality is that every top player this year has proved struggles their first competitive match for a different surface.
Djokovic dropped the pioneer set against Mikhail Youzhny inside his first match on clay this coming year. Andy Murray lost in straight sets when your dog played Stanislas Wawrinka. Tomas Berdych barely bought through Marcel Granollers prior to when falling to Fabio Fognini yearly very round—all of which came for their first clay-court event within the year after playing everything getting the club that on hard-courts.
Nadal has become playing on clay courts all year essentially (other as opposed to the Indian Wells tournament), and so his clay-court will likely be better than those that haven't spent as long on the outside.
For even though most of the speed is coming back up in the clay surface, the reality is that it's still an awfully significant jump to make all year long.
So for Federer, losing to Nishikori shouldn't count any longer than Djokovic's first-set with Youzhny did. It was an adjustment that would definitely take time, and the Swiss maestro simply hadn't had associated with time to completely adjust to your playing surfaces in This town.
Whether he'll have adjusted or not by way of the French Open still remains being seen, with Federer probably being forced to get some more clay-court practical experience under his belt. For at the present time, all he's got is definitely easy defeat of Radek Stepanek in addition to a three-set defeat by Nishikori—a less-than-ideal Grand Slam preparation for any former World No. 1.
The best way well Federer fares at Roland Garros this coming year still remains to remain visible, but it's clear that going barefoot won't be determined by one loss earlier this particular week.
He'll have to solution doubts about his backhand later on and his ability to put away potential forehand winning trades. He'll have to figure out a way to get good depth against players that always press against him and he's got to assure his body holds up in the tournament.
It was one loss to a great player on a surface that she hadn't played on prior to when. Nishikori had, and he was simply able to play better than Federer on the day.
But give him a few weeks, and the Fed Express are going to be on song, and will make to get a very tough opponent come the start of the 2013 French Offered.
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