I have given this some thought for the last couple of days and I honestly can't figure a good reason why Roger would opt to skip the non-mandatory ATP 1000 in Monte Carlo.
I emailed a Fed-fanatic friend and she replied, "Pacing himself."
I gave that about 3 minutes of consideration, then I looked at his 2010 year so far and in all of February and March he played exactly 5 matches. In fact, we are mid-April (14 weeks into '10) and he has played all of 16 matches. That's rather a low number.
Perhaps he feels that the clay season begins too soon? Except that he's always played MC before - including 3 runner-up finishes in '06, '07 and '08.
His website indicates that his clay season will begin in two weeks in Rome. From there he plans to play Estoril and Madrid before he heads to defend at Roland Garros. Estoril gets priority over Monte Carlo? ATP 250 trumps ATP 1000 - odd.
I realize he has a young family and traveling has taken on a whole new set of obstacles but isn't he a pampered player? Doesn't he dash around the world with ease (as his commercials suggest) on primo Net Jets? He is the #1 tennis player in the world - I think he should be in Monte Carlo PLAYING TENNIS.
Five players from the top 10 also skipped Monte Carlo. Del Potro, Soderling and Davydenko are out with injury and would surely have been there otherwise. And Roddick never plays Monte Carlo because he doesn't feel like he should get over to Europe that early just to lose in the 1st round.
Rafael Nadal has a chance this week (and next in Barcelona) to break and hold an ATP open-era record of being the only man to win a tournament 6 consecutive years. As a tennis fan I would have love to have seen him have to do it by getting through Federer.
Maybe I am missing something... other than Roger.
OK, I will take credit for the "pacing himself" remark!
I agree with you, he should be playing, I miss him more than you do!
Posted by: Diane | 04/13/2010 at 05:41 PM
Roger has done right not to play in MC, he wants rest and make himself solid to defend in Paris. i m also missing him. His health is more important.
Posted by: Muhammad Inam | 04/13/2010 at 09:39 PM
Lol, rest from what? All that tennis he's played this year?
Posted by: Chuck | 04/13/2010 at 09:42 PM
He is protecting himself from any significant confrontations against Mr Nadal before the one that really matters in federer's mind, that being the French open.
Federer plays his best on the big stage and he knows how much work you need to do to win on clay.
Posted by: Col | 04/14/2010 at 03:23 AM
Federer plays his best on the big stage and he knows how much work you need to do to win on clay.
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