Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Roger Federer confident he can beat Novak Djokovic on grass

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer is confident he can beat Novak Djokovic if the conditions are right at the All England Club.

Roger Federer believes he has a better chance of beating world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon if the grass courts play fast.


The seven-time Wimbledon champion returns to the All England Club later this month in an attempt to win his first grand slam title since 2012, having gone 11 without triumph since that success in London.


He came close to an 18th grand slam crown at Wimbledon 12 months ago as he beat Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic on the way to the final, but Djokovic was too strong for him over five sets.


Djokovic has won three of their five meetings since, including a straight-sets victory in Rome, but Federer is convinced he can challenge the Serb in the right conditions.


"If the surface is fast, I have a better chance against him," the Swiss said. "But even on a slow surface I've played well in the past against Djokovic.


"Of course, he has become so good, especially with his footwork. But his error rate is still very low.


"He plays very consistently in the offence. His serve has improved. He is one of the best, if not the best return player on the tour.



"This is of course good for grass court, but I still have the feeling if it's faster, he's doing more difficult to control everything. If I can play offensively against him, it is of course always good.


"We are far away from each other in the draw. I believe we can meet each other only in the final. So I do not think about him. In Paris he was the favourite. Therefore he moves on. He's definitely the favourite for Wimbledon."


Djokovic was denied a career grand slam when he lost in four sets to Federer's compatriot Wawrinka at the French Open earlier this month.

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