Eight-time former champion Roger Federer will make his highly anticipated return to Centre Court on Tuesday as he takes on Adrian Mannarino in the first round at Wimbledon.
No man has won more titles at the All England Club than Federer, but the Swiss great could have his work cut out for him as he looks to kick his comeback into high gear at his favourite Grand Slam event.
Federer, who was sidelined for much of the abbreviated 2020 season due to knee surgeries, has been struggling to regain his top form as he approaches his fifth tournament of the year. He’s found himself in uncharted territory more than once, recording his first second-round loss at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle and withdrawing from a Grand Slam for the first time at Roland Garros (w/o Berrettini).
But the sixth seed reassured press that he is ready to fight for a record-extending ninth singles trophy at Wimbledon. He is determined to stay positive and not let any negativity get to him, as he said was the case in his Halle defeat (l. to Auger-Aliassime).
“The good thing now, looking back, is I know it will not happen here because I'm ready, I'm excited, I'm pumped up. I know I can do so much better,” Federer said. “I think I've got to take the positives out of these past few weeks, that I'm actually here at Wimbledon right now and I have a chance.
“I know if I get rolling, I get into the second week – which is the goal here right now – that I get stronger and stronger as every match goes by. I believe it's very much possible.”
[TENNIS POINT]
Federer will face France’s Mannarino in his opening match, which he will play second on Centre Court on Tuesday. The Swiss owns a 6-0 lead in their ATP Head2Head, and has only lost one set out of the 16 they’ve contested. The pair’s last meeting took place here at Wimbledon; Federer will be hoping for another confidence-boosting win after beating the lefty 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 in 2018.
World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev arrived at the All England Club with a brand new accolade to his resumé: his first tour-level grass-court title, after taking down Sam Querrey in the ATP 250 Mallorca Championships final.
“I’ve always liked playing on grass. Four years ago, I would say that it was my favourite surface. But after my results on hard courts I couldn’t say anything else other than hard courts, and I still like playing on hard courts more,” Medvedev told press in Mallorca.
“It was important for me to get these things like titles going, because we don’t have a lot of tournaments [on this surface]... It’s always a good feeling and it gives you a lot of confidence.”
During his week in Mallorca, Medvedev got to enjoy some typical Spanish gazpacho as he tore through the draw only dropping one set. Now, he eyes another dish best served cold as he starts his Wimbledon campaign with his sights set on revenge against Jan-Lennard Struff, the player who knocked him out in the first round in Halle. Medvedev leads 3-1 in the ATP Head2Head against the big-serving German.
He will have a bit of extra motivation this fortnight too; Medvedev could end the tournament as the new No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, overtaking Novak Djokovic, though he would have to win his first Grand Slam title to do so. He could also rise to the top if he reaches the final and Djokovic does not.
Also on tap on Day 2, another mouth-watering first round rematch pits Nick Kyrgios against 21st seed Ugo Humbert on Court 12. When these two met in Melbourne this year, they delighted Aussie fans with a marathon five-setter that went down to the wire, with Kyrgios upsetting the Frenchman 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4. But Humbert arrives on a hot streak after taking down Andrey Rublev in Halle to win his first ATP 500 title. The pair are even at one win apiece in their ATP Head2Head.
Elsewhere at the All England Club, Zhang Zhizhen will take a historic step for China as the first man to contest the main draw at Wimbledon in the Open Era. The 24-year-old Shanghai-born qualifier, who goes by the nickname ‘ZZZ’ in the West, will take on Antoine Hoang on Court 6 as he makes his Grand Slam debut.
Read More: Carrying The Weight Of National History, Zhang Says 'It's Just The Beginning'
Fans of the one-handed backhand will also be in for a treat as Great Britain’s Daniel Evans, the 22nd seed, faces 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez on No. 2 Court. Spanish lefty Lopez won their only previous meeting at the Australian Open in 2016, but Evans will surely enjoy the support of his home crowd. He also arrives with plenty of momentum after reaching back-to-back quarter-finals at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Nottingham and the cinch Championships at The Queen’s Club.
Click Here To View Full Day 2 Order Of Play.
No man has won more titles at the All England Club than Federer, but the Swiss great could have his work cut out for him as he looks to kick his comeback into high gear at his favourite Grand Slam event.
Federer, who was sidelined for much of the abbreviated 2020 season due to knee surgeries, has been struggling to regain his top form as he approaches his fifth tournament of the year. He’s found himself in uncharted territory more than once, recording his first second-round loss at the NOVENTI OPEN in Halle and withdrawing from a Grand Slam for the first time at Roland Garros (w/o Berrettini).
But the sixth seed reassured press that he is ready to fight for a record-extending ninth singles trophy at Wimbledon. He is determined to stay positive and not let any negativity get to him, as he said was the case in his Halle defeat (l. to Auger-Aliassime).
“The good thing now, looking back, is I know it will not happen here because I'm ready, I'm excited, I'm pumped up. I know I can do so much better,” Federer said. “I think I've got to take the positives out of these past few weeks, that I'm actually here at Wimbledon right now and I have a chance.
“I know if I get rolling, I get into the second week – which is the goal here right now – that I get stronger and stronger as every match goes by. I believe it's very much possible.”
[TENNIS POINT]
Federer will face France’s Mannarino in his opening match, which he will play second on Centre Court on Tuesday. The Swiss owns a 6-0 lead in their ATP Head2Head, and has only lost one set out of the 16 they’ve contested. The pair’s last meeting took place here at Wimbledon; Federer will be hoping for another confidence-boosting win after beating the lefty 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 in 2018.
World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev arrived at the All England Club with a brand new accolade to his resumé: his first tour-level grass-court title, after taking down Sam Querrey in the ATP 250 Mallorca Championships final.
“I’ve always liked playing on grass. Four years ago, I would say that it was my favourite surface. But after my results on hard courts I couldn’t say anything else other than hard courts, and I still like playing on hard courts more,” Medvedev told press in Mallorca.
“It was important for me to get these things like titles going, because we don’t have a lot of tournaments [on this surface]... It’s always a good feeling and it gives you a lot of confidence.”
During his week in Mallorca, Medvedev got to enjoy some typical Spanish gazpacho as he tore through the draw only dropping one set. Now, he eyes another dish best served cold as he starts his Wimbledon campaign with his sights set on revenge against Jan-Lennard Struff, the player who knocked him out in the first round in Halle. Medvedev leads 3-1 in the ATP Head2Head against the big-serving German.
He will have a bit of extra motivation this fortnight too; Medvedev could end the tournament as the new No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, overtaking Novak Djokovic, though he would have to win his first Grand Slam title to do so. He could also rise to the top if he reaches the final and Djokovic does not.
Also on tap on Day 2, another mouth-watering first round rematch pits Nick Kyrgios against 21st seed Ugo Humbert on Court 12. When these two met in Melbourne this year, they delighted Aussie fans with a marathon five-setter that went down to the wire, with Kyrgios upsetting the Frenchman 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4. But Humbert arrives on a hot streak after taking down Andrey Rublev in Halle to win his first ATP 500 title. The pair are even at one win apiece in their ATP Head2Head.
Elsewhere at the All England Club, Zhang Zhizhen will take a historic step for China as the first man to contest the main draw at Wimbledon in the Open Era. The 24-year-old Shanghai-born qualifier, who goes by the nickname ‘ZZZ’ in the West, will take on Antoine Hoang on Court 6 as he makes his Grand Slam debut.
Read More: Carrying The Weight Of National History, Zhang Says 'It's Just The Beginning'
Fans of the one-handed backhand will also be in for a treat as Great Britain’s Daniel Evans, the 22nd seed, faces 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez on No. 2 Court. Spanish lefty Lopez won their only previous meeting at the Australian Open in 2016, but Evans will surely enjoy the support of his home crowd. He also arrives with plenty of momentum after reaching back-to-back quarter-finals at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Nottingham and the cinch Championships at The Queen’s Club.
Click Here To View Full Day 2 Order Of Play.