'We'll both have more gray hair and Roger Federer will still...', says TD

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The calendar Roger Federer will make for the clay season remains unclear. Although he appears on the list of entrants for the Madrid Masters 1000, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca, he may not play in the tournament. The alternative would be to play the Geneva ATP 250 as the only preparation before joining the French Grand Slam. The date change for Roland Garros, which this year will take place a week later than planned, would have made the Swiss question his participation in the Spanish capital. As he has already skipped the Masters 1000 in Rome, being the only one of the first 45 not to be on the entry list, Federer has the option of playing at home before Roland Garros. According to Radio Television Suisse, the Geneva ATP organization is optimistic and hopeful about the possibility of counting on Federer. “Of course, we dream about it”, confirm in chorus Thierry Grin and Rainer Schuttler, directors of the tournament. “Six years ago, we talked to his team every time with the prospect of him playing at the Geneva Open at least once. We hope it can be this year. We work to have the best possible key. Imagine if we can count on Federer”, added Grin. Scheduled to take place between the 16th and the 22nd of May, the Geneva ATP normally takes place in the week before Roland Garros, but with the postponement of the French tournament there will now be a week between them, which will be occupied by the ATP 250 in Parma, last minute novelty on the circuit, created to occupy a week that would be vacant in the calendar. Raul Zurutuza, the tournament director (TD) of the Mexican Open, recently talked about how happy he would be if both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both play at his event someday. Zurutuza thinks along those same lines, as he revealed during a recent interview. According to the Mexican Open TD, having both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at his event would prompt him to imitate a famous local exercise - jumping into the Pacific Ocean from a high cliff.

Zurutuza jokingly marveled at Roger Federer’s longevity

Raul Zurutuza also jokingly marveled at Roger Federer’s longevity, claiming that the 39-year-old might well play for another decade. "This is something we have discussed with Tony Godsick (his agent) many times," Zurutuza said about Roger Federer. "Look, maybe 10 years from now, we'll both have more gray hair and Roger will still be playing tennis. Nothing tells us that he will continue playing for several more years. I do not lose hope that he will come."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3genG2t

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