The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : A lot more pressure coming out of a loss, says Federer

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Thursday, Mar 22, 2007
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A lot more pressure coming out of a loss, says Federer

Nandita Sridhar

— PHOTO: AFP

EVER THE DIPLOMAT: Roger Federer says Indian people `are very nice' and playing in India will definitely be one of his priorities within the next five years.

Miami: Of all sporting rarities, Roger Federer's Indian Wells loss should stand out for its seismic impact on the sport. The reverberations of that loss were felt in Miami, prior to the Sony Ericsson Open. At a press conference before the event, Federer was — yet again — answering questions, which were on a new lease of life after 41 matches.

The Swiss has had to find ways to reduce the perceived enormity of the loss. A lesser talked about consequence of that loss, was killing time. "I didn't know what to do for the rest of the week. I had time to practise, and then leave," he added. The Swiss genius needn't worry about an untouched record, with his every presence on court assuming statistical significance. But he dismissed suggestions that the loss reduced the pressure on him. "There is more pressure when you're coming out of a loss, because you have to prove yourself more after that. I prefer being on winning streaks. I don't feel the pressure when I'm on streaks because I take it one match at a time," he said.

The 25-year-old would look to defend his title at the unofficial fifth Slam of the year, when he begins his campaign on Saturday. "You just have to look at history. The timing is perfect, between the Australian Open and the French Open, and the stadium is great. There will never be a fifth major, but the field here is bigger than most other tournaments, and with both the men's and the women's events, it's almost like a Grand Slam," he said.

The flip side

Last year's weariness — a consequence of his success — would be the least of his worries this year. Having played in just three tournaments so far, Federer wasn't and isn't looking for unscheduled rest. "I didn't need a rest. I need more matches to prepare for the clay season after this. It will be pretty tight till Wimbledon, unless I lose in the first round of the French Open — which is not one of my goals," he said.

Rafael Nadal's Indian Wells win ended a near year-long title drought for the Spaniard. "He plays fantastic. For some people, it (his Indian Wells title win) was a surprise. For me, it's just normal. He is a very good player, and if I wasn't number one, he would have been," he said

For those hoping to make it big, Federer warned that skill alone would not suffice. "Talent is not enough... you need to have the will to work hard. Tennis is a tough sport, you have to deal with a lot of losses, and it's important to be strong," he added.

On his own career, the Swiss said he had it in him to maintain his current level, and expressed hope that he would play till the 2012 London Olympics. Tiger Woods being in the same city for the WGC-CA Championships fuelled an already over-worked debate on their relative greatness. "There is a lot of speculation on that, but we are the last two guys who care about that," he said. As much as he enjoyed golf he didn't harbour illusions on his golfing abilities. "I need some advice from Tiger," he laughed.

The World No. 1 said that playing in India would be one of his priorities over the next five years. "I was there last year, for UNICEF, and it was a fascinating trip. Indian people are very nice and I'm always interested in seeing new places, experiencing new cultures. India will definitely be one of the priorities within the next five years," he said.

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