Roger Federer turned 36 yesterday, but he seems to be playing and dominating the tour like when he was 26.
Is 36 the new 26 for Roger Federer?
Going by the draw at the Rogers Cup, he could have an interesting meeting with Kei Nishikori in the pre-quarters, and I expect Federer to win as long as he is serious about doing well in this tournament. Nowadays, Federer’s sole focus seems to be his performance in the slams and he tends to hold back a little, perhaps to avoid over-exertion and injuries, in the non-slam matches. However, when it comes to Roger Federer, just watching him play is a treat and his winning assures yet another treat.
Rafael Nadal’s tough draw
Rafael Nadal is preparing for a tough match against Borna Coric, who is one of the very few on the tour with a winning head-to-head against Nadal.
Nadal is aware of this head-to-head disadvantage against Coric and would relish this opportunity to level their head-to-head to 2-2 from 2-1, as it currently stands, in Borna's favor. The prospects of Coric winning this match against Nadal seem quite bleak, but one can never tell in the unpredictable world of professional tennis.
Coric has good ground shots which are well supported by a powerful enough serve. However, to beat Nadal he will need to play closer to the base line and capitalize on his chances when they come.
On paper, and based on Nadal's form this year, he is the favorite to win this match.
However, his next match with Del Potro could be a trickier one and I feel Nadal could lose that one.
Novak Djokovic expecting an amazing comeback in 2018
Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, is far away from competitive tennis and nursing his injured elbow while spending time with family. However, I am certain that he is itching to get back into practice courts and prepare for a winning comeback like the one that Federer and Nadal enjoyed in 2017.
After all, you can take the champion out of tennis, but you can’t take tennis out of the champion.
I fear that Novak Djokovic, who is quite emotional and sensitive of nature, might get a little disheartened if his return is not as spectacular as the one enjoyed by Federer in 2017.
Serena enjoying her pregnancy
Serena Williams is preparing for the arrival of her baby while going retro, to the 50s, for her baby shower celebrations. The proud mom to be recently posted her baby bump on snap chat, and spoke her mind about womanhood and becoming a mother. We wish this amazing Champion the very best.
