SM
England vs. Ireland: 14 hrs 19 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Roger Federer pulls out of ATP Cup for family reasons

:Headline: Roger Federer pulls out of ATP Cup for family reasons: ID:376802: from db_amp
Switzerland will drop out of the tournament as they only qualified due to Federer's ranking.

Roger Federer has dropped out of the ATP Cup in January, meaning there will be no showdown with Andy Murray.

The 38-year-old, currently ranked three in the world, had committed to playing the inaugural tournament in Australia at the start of 2020, but has opted out in order to spend more time with his family.

The team competition sees 24 countries compete against each other – initially in a round-robin group stage – and Federer's Switzerland side were scheduled to start their campaign against Murray's Great Britain in Sydney on January 3.

It would have been the first meeting between the two since a semi-final in Cincinnati four years ago.

But with the veteran desperate to try and win a maiden Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in August, he is keen to keep himself fresh.

"It is with great regret that I am withdrawing from the inaugural ATP Cup event," said Federer on the tournament's official website.

"When I entered the event last month, it was a really difficult decision because it meant less time at home with the family and a fully intense start to the season.

Federer's withdrawal prevents a first meeting with Andy Murray since 2015 (Toby Melville/PA)

"After much discussion with both my family and my team about the year ahead, I have decided that the extra two weeks at home will be beneficial for both my family and my tennis.

"It pains me to not be a part of the most exciting new event on the calendar. But this is the right thing to do if I want to continue to play for a longer period of time on the ATP Tour.

"I am sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment my withdrawal may cause for the fans, but I hope you can understand why I made it.

"For my Australian fans, I look forward to seeing you all at the Australian Open, fresh and ready to go."

As a result of his withdrawal, Switzerland drop out of the tournament as they only qualified due to Federer's ranking.

amp_article__376802 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-10-30 10:10:03:
html db last update - 2019-10-30 10:10:03 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Roger Federer

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .