Federer confident ahead of new season

 

Originally published on: 04/12/13 00:00

The Swiss endured a difficult season, winning a single title in Halle and struggling with a back injury during the summer. A series of defeats to lower-ranked players saw him slip out of the world's top five for the first time since 2003.

A poor run of form started with a shock second-round defeat to Sergiy Stakhovsky at Wimbledon, and he suffered back-to-back defeats to Federico Delbonis in Hamburg and Daniel Brands in Gstaad before pulling out of the Rogers Cup.

“It was a very difficult year,” Federer admitted in an interview with sponsors Credit Suisse. “It may have begun well with the semi-final in Australia, and it ended well. But it would be better to forget the months from March to October, despite the quarter-finals at Roland Garros and the win in Halle.

“My back problems began at Indian Wells in March,” he added. “After that, I fell behind with my training and was unable to catch up again because my back problems soon returned. In the summer too, it would have been better to have given up in Hamburg and Gstaad. These problems cost me a lot of time and threw me off course."

Federer, who ended the year positively with some strong results on the indoor courts in Basel, Paris and London, believes he has reason to be optimistic ahead of the new season.

“I can see no reason why I shouldn't play better again in 2014, and have some great wins,” he said. " I have still got some major goals, because I certainly haven't forgotten how to play tennis… once my back was better, my results also improved.

"My self-confidence has returned. By the end, everyone around me was talking positively again, the mood was much better than in the summer. That boosts my morale for the coming year, and it's a big relief.”

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