Roger Federer bemoaned his slow start after struggling a straight-sets defeat to Dominic Thiem in his opening match of the ATP Finals.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, looking for his seventh victory on the season-ending occasion, was downed 7-5 7-5 by Austrian star Thiem on Sunday night.
World quantity 5 Thiem secured an early break and by no means appeared again as he made a profitable start to a match he has certified for on 4 events however by no means superior previous the group stage.
A HUGE win for @ThiemDomi 💪
His third win over Roger Federer this season.
🎥: @TennisTV #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/KKDJvfvSa7
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 10, 2019
Federer has now misplaced his final three matches in opposition to Thiem and stated: ‘I thought he played well. The start definitely didn’t assist, that put me on the again foot a bit bit.
Advertisement
Advertisement
‘But I recovered effectively, and I assumed after that the match was truly fairly even for a protracted time period.
‘I had my chances, didn’t really feel like I used to be outplayed or something. Just perhaps that first-round hiccups, not hitting your spots on the serve, moving into hassle early within the service video games which maybe doesn’t occur in a while within the match.
‘I thought also Dominic saved himself really well when he had to, so I thought he played a tough first-round performance today, and my game was probably just not good enough.’
Federer now faces an uphill battle to qualify for the semi-finals, with group matches in opposition to world quantity two Novak Djokovic and big-serving debutant Matteo Berrettini to come.
Djokovic received two of the 4 Grand Slams of 2019 and produced a scientific show to smash Berrettini within the opening match of this occasion.
‘It’s a standard match from right here on ahead… I’m not allowed to lose anymore,’ Federer added.
‘That’s the way it has been each week of the yr for the final 20 years, so from that standpoint there may be nothing new there.
‘Matteo, with his serve and with what he can do, obviously any opponent is dangerous here. He didn’t clearly have the very best match at present in opposition to Novak.
Advertisement
Advertisement
‘It’s most likely additionally the hardest manner to start off the Finals, enjoying Novak on the indoors, as a result of he hardly ever has hiccups as effectively early on in tournaments.
‘I’ve acquired to get better, I’ve acquired make sure that I play higher than at present, and hopefully I can win that match.’
Thiem, in the meantime, reacting to his spectacular victory over Federer, stated: ‘To beat him, everything has to fit together. Today I think that was the case. I played very well.’
MORE: Is it time for tennis to actually embrace shorter codecs?
Advertisement
Advertisement
