UNITED KINGDOM: TENNIS - Roger Federer admits he's dreaming of lifting the Wimbledon title once again while French Open winner Rafael Nadal refuses to look beyond the first round

Record ID: 644143

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: TENNIS - Roger Federer admits he's dreaming of lifting the Wimbledon title once again while French Open winner Rafael Nadal refuses to look beyond the first round
  • Date: 24th June 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 23, 2012) (REUTERS) ( ** INTERMITTENT AUDIO PROBLEMS ** INTERIOR OF WIMBLEDON SITE / CENTRE COURT LOGO WORLD NUMBER THREE ROGER FEDERER ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE FEDERER ON CAMERA VIEW FINDER DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD NUMBER THREE ROGER FEDERER SAYING: "I am dreaming of the title, there's no denying that but of course I've played two quarter-finals the past couple of years so I want to do better. I have to do better at this event. I could've gone further the last couple, maybe a bit unfortunate at times, maybe the other guys were just too good, maybe I wasn't quite at my best. Who knows what the combination was but it's up to me to make that difference now and take it to the next step. Then once, hopefully, I am there obviously, I hope I can reach for the title and a seventh would be amazing. That would, I think, tie with Pete (Sampras), I would think, which would be absolutely fantastic obviously." REPORTER TAKING NOTES FEDERER NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD NUMBER THREE ROGER FEDERER SAYING: "My confidence is very good. I've won so many tournaments, so many matches the last year or so that I feel perfect in this regard. I'm not lacking matches, I'm match fit, I'm match tough right now. I think that's key going into a grand slam to be quite honest." AORANGI PARK PRACTICE COURTS AT WIMBLEDON WITH PLAYERS PREPARING FOR TOURNAMENT RAFAEL NADAL PRACTICISING AHEAD OF WIMBLEDON FIRST ROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD NUMBER TWO RAFAEL NADAL SAYING: "I am very happy with the way things went in the last couple of months - since the beginning of the season this year, in my opinion. But thinking about winning another title here in Wimbledon is arrogant and crazy. That's something I cannot do no? I can just think about the practice of tomorrow." WIDE OF NADAL PRACTICE SESSION IN PROGRESS NADAL PRACTICISING ANDY MURRAY PRACTICING WITH JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO MURRAY DURING PRACTICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH NUMBER ONE ANDY MURRAY SAYING: "Doesn't add any extra pressure. I think in all sports playing at home is viewed as being a huge advantage, whereas for some reason when it comes to Wimbledon, everyone thinks it's a bad thing. There's more pressure on you and it doesn't help. But I haven't really found it that way. When I've played here, I've enjoyed the challenge, I've enjoyed playing in front of a passionate crowd, and it's helped me." DEL POTRO HITTING UP
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9KTSBJ6S2LPE8ALXP70HDXQPP
  • Story Text: Six-time champion Roger Federer was not beating around the bush as he discussed his hopes and expectations for this year Wimbledon Championships on Saturday (June 23).
    The Swiss is the third seed for the year's third grand slam event and shares the favourites tag with top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic and French Open winner Rafael Nadal.
    The three have completely dominated grand slam events in recent times with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro (2009 U.S Open) the only other man to have got his hands on one in seven years.
    While tennis players are famous for clichéd answers during pre-tournament news conference, Federer was surprisingly frank when he discussed his chances of winning a record equalling seventh All England Club title.
    "I am dreaming of the title, there's no denying that," Federer told reporters.
    "But of course I've played two quarter-finals the past couple of years so I want to do better. I have to do better at this event.
    "I could've gone further the last couple, maybe a bit unfortunate at times, maybe the other guys were just too good, maybe I wasn't quite at my best who knows what the combination was but it's up to me to make that difference now and take it to the next step.
    "Then once, hopefully, I am there obviously, I hope I can reach for the title and a seventh would be amazing.
    "That would, I think, tie with Pete (Sampras), I would think, which would be absolutely fantastic obviously."
    Federer was beaten by German veteran Tommy Haas in the final of the Halle pre-Wimbledon event but added he was in a good place going into the tournament he dominated from 2005-2009, winning five times in succession.
    "My confidence is very good," he added. "I've won so many tournaments, so many matches the last year or so that I feel perfect in this regard.
    "I'm not lacking matches, I'm match fit, I'm match tough right now. I think that's key going into a grand slam to be quite honest."
    Spanish second seed Nadal arrives in London after another sensational clay court season which culminated in a seventh French Open title at Roland Garros.
    The two-time Wimbledon champion spent time at Wimbledon's Aorangi Park practice courts on Saturday before facing the inevitable barrage of questions about another possible grand slam final meeting with Djokovic - the man he beat earlier this month to win in Paris but whom before that had beaten him in three-straight grand slam finals.
    Unlike Federer, Nadal was in no mood to discuss title winning form or ambition at this early stage.
    "I am very happy with the way things went in the last couple of months - since the beginning of the season this year, in my opinion," Nadal told a news conference.
    "But thinking about winning another title here in Wimbledon is arrogant and crazy. That's something I cannot do no? I can just think about the practice of tomorrow."
    British hopes at Wimbledon again lie with fourth seed Andy Murray.
    Despite having played the final of the U.S Open and the Australian Open (twice), Murray has never reached the final at this event.
    His best result has been semi-final appearances the last three years in succession.
    The pressure of being the only man with half a chance of winning the title at Wimbledon has always lay in the shadow for Murray with many critics believing the expectations have adversely affected him.
    But Murray told reporters the opposite was the reality and he could not wait for another chance to win his home grand slam.
    "(It) doesn't add any extra pressure," Murray said. "I think in all sports playing at home is viewed as being a huge advantage, whereas for some reason when it comes to Wimbledon, everyone thinks it's a bad thing. There's more pressure on you and it doesn't help.
    "But I haven't really found it that way. When I've played here, I've enjoyed the challenge, I've enjoyed playing in front of a passionate crowd, and it's helped me."
    Only time will tell with the odds heavily stacked in favour in one of the top three - Djokovic, Nadal or Federer adding another grand slam to their bulging collection.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register