Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer prepares to make a comeback. The 39-year-old former world number one player will return at the Madrid Open in May. The development confirms last Tuesday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion awaits the lineup for the clay-court event. It will take place on May 2-9 at the La Caja Magica in the Spanish capital. Interestingly, his rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are also taking part in the tennis tournament which could make the top tennis betting lines go haywire with the Big Three finally back competing in one tournament.
After 13 months on the shelf, he was recuperating from two knee surgeries conducted last year. Finally, Roger Federer returned to action in March at the Qatar Open in Doha. He received a first-round bye. Then, the Swiss competed in the second round where he defeated British netter Daniel Evans in three sets. However, Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia beat him also in three sets in the third round. He was supposed to take part in Dubai the following week but he begged off.
Federer’s appearance in a clay-court tournament is a surprise for tennis fans. It is considering that he is not that successful on the surface. His last ATP Tour title on clay was in 2015 in Istanbul. He once emerged victorious in Madrid Masters in 2012, beating Tomas Berdych in three sets. The Swiss maestro was not even good at Roland Garros, as he only won the French Open crown in 2009.
Hurkacz, Barty top 2021 Miami Open tourney
Meanwhile, Polish tennister Hubert Hurkacz and Australian women’s world number one Ash Barty secured the Miami Open men’s and women’s singles titles, respectively. Hurkacz defeated 19-year-old Jannik Sinner of Italy, in straight sets, 7-6 6-4, while Barty outclassed Bianca Andreescu via retirement. Hurkacz took advantage of the non-participation of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer in the tournament as he ran over his foes, including Sinner in the final, to improve to 10-0 in tournaments held in the US state of Florida. In January, the Polish world number 37 beat his foes to earn the Delray Beach title.
The 6-foot-5 Hurkacz made things miserable for Sinner. He broke the Italian teenager’s serve four times, en route to the championship. Before crossing paths with Sinner in the final, the Polish tennis star surprised tournament second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and number four Andray Rublev. The victory in Miami will catapult Hurkacz to 16th overall when the men’s rankings are released. He was also the first Polish tennister to win an Association of Tennis Professionals-sanctioned Masters 1000 event.
Barty Leading Women’s
On the women’s side, Ashleigh Barty successfully retained her Miami Open women’s singles tiara by dispatching Andreescu, who was again affected by an injury in the middle of the second set. The Canadian suffered a right ankle injury in the second set, when she was behind, 3-6, 0-4. The unfortunate incident forced Andreescu to retire. The title was returned back to Barty. The Australian has kept her firm grip on the Women’s Tennis Association world rankings as the top female netter in the world.
The Australian Barty overwhelmed the Canadian 2019 US Open champion in the first set behind a powerful service game and an accurate forehand. Barty broke for a 3-0 lead in the second set as the 20-year-old world number nine struggled to move. Moments later, Andreescu’s trainer told the tennis star to call it off to avoid further damage.
The 24-year-old Queensland native dispatched former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 14th seed Victoria Azarenka, number seven Aryna Sabalenka, and fifth seed Elina Svitolina to set up a confrontation with Andreescu. The victory gave Barty 1,000 Women’s Tennis Association Points and the USD300,110 top prize. It also enabled her to retain her world number one ranking and deny closest rival Naomi Osaka from taking it from her. Osaka also competed in the Miami Open but fell to Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals.
Conclusion
The victories of Hurkacz and Barty will likewise give the two tennis stars some leverage going. Especially, into the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year, the French Open that will take place on May 17-June 6. The developments will also affect the aficionados betting from the best tennis oddsmaker, as they are forced to rethink who among today’s tennis stars could give them the best shot at winning bigger money at these prestigious events.
