Geneva Open: Federer to face Andujar in clay-court comeback
Roger Federer will be marking a return to tennis since March 2021, when he lost in the quarter-finals of the Doha Open. Interestingly, this is set to be Federer's second tournament after the 2020 Australian Open. He had undergone two arthroscopic right knee surgeries. Federer, seeded number one at the Geneva Open, will face 35-year-old Pablo Andujar. Here are further details.
Federer's first match on clay since 2019 French Open
The clash against Andujar will be Federer's first match on clay in almost two years. His previous encounter came during a semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal at the 2019 French Open. Federer is top-seeded for the Geneva Open and it remains to be seen how he shapes up. Meanwhile, Andujar beat Jordan Thompson 6-0, 6-4 to set up a clash against the Swiss maestro.
I am excited about the comeback, says Federer
Federer said a return from injury puts someone in a different place and that he is excited to return. "When you come back from an injury, you're in a different place than everyone else," the 39-year-old Federer said Monday. "I am excited about the comeback and won't be focused on being at the same level as Rafa (Nadal) or Novak (Djokovic) right now."
Andujar's wish of playing against Federer comes true
Andujar is really excited to be playing against Federer. "[I am] really, really excited. It was something that I wanted, to have a match against Roger, just to tell my kids and my grandkids when I get older that I played him," Andujar said. "This is something that for a long time I was looking for," he added.
Andujar feels men's top three are above the sport
The 35-year-old Andujar has won four ATP Tour titles and climbed as high as No. 32 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He has played against the world's best players and still gets excited for opportunities such as these. "I think when you play Rafa, Novak and Roger, these guys became myths. [They are] something above the sport," Andujar said.
