Sunday, February 26, 2017

Roger Federer looks ahead to Dubai

Roger Federer is set to play against Benoit Paire on Monday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

“I love playing in Dubai,” Federer told ATP World Tour Uncovered. “I call it my second home because I've spend so much time here practising over the years. The sessions are more sold out than ever, so it’s nice to be a part of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships history.”

Watch the Swiss superstar, a winner of seven Dubai titles, train with Dustin Brown at the Aviation Club on Sunday and look ahead to his 13th appearance at the ATP World Tour 500 tournament.

Federer is playing at his first tournament since capturing his 18th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open (d. Nadal) on 29 January.

“I’ve been resting myself and have only been back in full training for the past three days at 100 per cent," admitted Federer. "The first round is going to be tough against Benoit Paire, who I know quite well. He’s a dangerous player and it’s a fast court.

“Even though I did win in Australia, I still feel like I’m a work in progress. I feel there is a little of the unknown, I don’t know what to expect myself. Especially if I were to win matches here, how is my body and mind going to react to back-to-back matches? I haven’t done that in seven or eight months. I will try to take it easy and not put too much pressure on myself.”

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