2011 Mutua Madrid Open: Roger Federer vs. Feliciano Lopez – Preview
Swiss super star Roger Federer will take on Spanish Feliciano Lopez on Wednesday in the second round of 2011 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open in Spain.
The two players have met each other eight previous times on the ATP tour with Federer leading the head-to-head series by 8-0. Their last meeting took place in 2008 at Basel when Federer defeated the Spaniard in straight sets 6-3,
6-2. However, a lot has changed since then. Federer has moved down the ATP rankings to world number three now. The running season has proved to be quite a poor one for the Swiss tennis-pro. He has made it to the quarterfinals and semi-finals of several ATP
tournaments though struggling against the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal he has stopped short of the title match. Australian Open, Duabi Duty Free, BNP Paribas Open and Sony Ericsson Open have all resulted in a disappointment for the 29-year-old.
The only title win for the maestro came in the season opening event at Doha where he defeated defending champion Nikolay Davydenko
Regardless, Federer has been in decent form and seem to have confidence in his shots. If he can continue playing in the same fashion he can pose a real threat for Rafael Nadal and other top seeded players at the tournament. Ranked
3rd in the world now, Federer still believes in his abilities and aims to regain his top position.
Talking about it in an interview, the former world number one said, “Once you reach a good level as a tennis player or for that matter win Grand Slams or become No. 1 in the world, it really fuels you with a motivation and energy.
Clearly wanting to get that feeling back of how it feels winning big tournaments and how it feels to be right at the top of the game [is something] that I´ve been able to do it for so long.”
World number 39 Lopez also has high hopes from the Masters tournament. Just a few days ago he made it to the finals of 2011 Belgrade in Serbia though he lost to Novak Djokovic. He must have taken a lot of confidence from her recent
performances as he is looking in absolutely great touch at Madrid Open. In his opening match at the tournament he defeated Canadian Milos Raonic.
Both players possess destructive weapons which they can use against each other. Lopez is an aggressive baseliner and has a strong backhand shot which he executes perfectly to earn crucial points. Federer on the other hand has a
superior serve and excellent on-court movement. Being more experienced and determined, Federer is expected to win the match in straight sets.
Tags: