'Exhausted' Federer to miss Wimbledon tuneup
'I still feel emotionally overwhelmed,' star says days after French Open win
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HALLE, Germany - Roger Federer pulled out of the Gerry Weber Open, his usual grass-court warm-up for Wimbledon, saying Tuesday he is “overwhelmed” and “exhausted” after his French Open win.
The withdrawal came two days after Federer’s record-tying 14th Grand Slam victory at the French Open, the only major title that had been missing from his resume.
“I sincerely apologize to the tournament organizers, my competitors, and my fans in Germany. I only hope they will understand that I still feel emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the incredible events of the past few days,” Federer said on his Web site.
“It is hard for me to admit, but I simply cannot imagine giving my best effort in another tournament right away and I don’t want to risk injury if I am not 100 percent prepared. I need to rest and recuperate,” he said.
Federer has taken the Halle title five times, and four of those years he went on to win Wimbledon, where he had his five-year run stopped last year by Rafael Nadal.
With the tournament’s top-seeded player out, second-seeded Novak Djokovic eased past Simone Bolelli 7-5, 6-2 in his season debut on grass to reach the second round.
Fourth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Fabrice Santoro 7-5, 6-2, but No. 3 Fernando Verdasco was upset 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 by Philipp Petzschner after wasting a match point. Verdasco had beaten the German in straight sets on clay at the French Open.
Djokovic lost his footing several times on the slippery grass. In the final game of the opening set, he fell on his backside as he tried to reach a shot. He still produced a winner that gave him a set point. Bolelli fended it off, before giving up another and then sending a backhand into the net.
Djokovic dominated the second set.
“He was going for his shots and I knew he had a big forehand. But he was struggling to hold serve and I took the opportunity,” Djokovic said.
“I was playing quite well for a first match. Those first matches in a tournament are always difficult,” Djokovic said. “I am coming from clay, where you slide a lot and have long rallies and you have to adjust on grass. I have to work on my movement.”
Tsonga’s match against his fellow Frenchman also produced some acrobatics.
Tsonga at one point dived for a ball and had to throw his racket to make the return. Tsonga rolled over, picked up the racket, rushed to the forehand side and continued the rally. He then raced back to the backhand side and tried to hit a winner down the line that was just wide.
In the end, Tsonga just had too much athleticism for Santoro, who is retiring at the end of the season.
“He served very well, he put me under pressure and he moved very well,” Santoro said. “I didn’t have a break point. I didn’t do anything wrong, but nothing exceptional either.”
Tsonga was happy after his first match on grass in two years.
“I feel good, I feel at ease on grass. I can play well on this surface. On this surface, I expect to win,” he said. “My game plan is to hit the ball as hard as I can.”
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