Roger Federer desperately wants an Olympics Singles Gold – Tennis News
Although Roger Federer won Gold Medal in the men’s doubles event at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the Swiss Maestro still wants to win the singles title at this summer’s Games in London.
The 30-year-old desperately wants to win Gold Medal in the singles event to complete the list of his achievements. He has won a record 16 Grand Slam titles, which includes all four of them and five ATP World Tour Finals.
However, Federer does not like the best-of-three sets format followed at the Olympics. Only the title match is played on best of five set format at the biggest sports event in the world.
He said, "It's different pressure because the form is best of three so you feel like you have a bad five minutes and that could be it. That's kind of what cost me against (Tomas) Berdych in Athens, against (James) Blake in Beijing.
And then next thing, you know, you're out of both tournaments, and I think I was seeded 1 or 2 in either one of them."
The Swiss Maestro has represented Switzerland in three Olympics already from 2000 to 2008. Ranked 36th at that time, he lost to Germany’s Tommy Haas in straight sets 3-6, 2-6 in the semi-finals at the Sydney Olympics
in 2000. He was upset by French player, Arnaud Di Pasquale, in three sets 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 3-6 in the Bronze Medal match.
Federer was the top seed at the Athens Olympics in 2004 but he was stunned by the then world number 79, Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic, in three sets 6-4, 5-7, 5-7 in the second round. The Swiss Maestro, once again, entered the
Beijing Olympics as the favourite to win Gold Medal but this time he got surprised by USA’s James Blake in straight sets 4-6, 6-7(2) in the quarter-finals.
The Swiss Maestro is hoping that London Olympics prove lucky for him and he returns to his homeland with a Gold Medal. He said, "Obviously I'm very happy to represent Switzerland. I did way too good back in 2000, didn't do so well
in Athens. In Beijing, I was really close to a medal in the singles and then in doubles I got the gold."
This is the best opportunity for Federer to win the Gold Medal, as tennis event of London Olympics will be held at his favourite hunting ground, the All England Club, where he has won six Wimbledon titles.
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