June 16, (THEWILL)- The expected return of former world number one tennis player, Roger Federer, to competitive form in time for his favourite grass surface at the upcoming All-England competition in Wimbledon suffered a setback on Wednesday.
At the Halle Open on Wednesday, the Swiss tennis icon slipped to a 4-6 6-3 6-2 loss in the Round of 16 against 20-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is the second youngest player ranked in the Top 20 of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
After pulling out of the clay courts of Roland Garros, Federer was hoping to get some play time under his belt in a competition at Halle that he had won ten times in his career. Over the years, his dominating presence in Germany had been so impactful that he had never previously lost earlier than the quarter-final stage on the grass courts.
The process of his return to form meant that Federer came up as second-best for much of the match against his young Canadian opponent even though the 39-year-old legend was able to close out the first set 6-4. Auger-Aliassime took advantage of an unusual four unconverted break points to gain control and race to win the second and third sets.
Federer, who will be 40 this year, will know that Wimbledon presents his most likely chance at a last Grand Slam to add to his 20, for which he is currently tied with Rafael Nadal for most Grand Slams of the Open era. His knee surgeries kept him from play for an extended period and age is catching up with his typically exquisite form.
But, after an early Halle victory against Ilya Ivashka, Federer confirmed that he felt he was in decent shape ahead of the All-England Competition. This loss to Auger-Aliassime will raise fresh questions over the ability of the Swiss to conjure the wherewithal to take victory at the next major.
It will be up to Federer to say but the indicators are flashing red especially in a field of players that are hungry for glory and have the youthful vigour and risky aversion to make victory theirs against a once impeccable legend of the courts.
The decision to keep trying or call time on his illustrious tennis career is never an easy one but ultimately, Federer must have to say whether he can continue to stomach the gradual decline of his invincibility and the sinking of his previous untouchable records by fewer and fewer notable players or if he should leave while he can still be applauded.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
