A sudden withdrawal from the Miami Masters could prompt Roger Federer to add one or two tournaments in the upcoming European clay-court season to keep him in tip-top shape for the 2016 French Open Championships.
Federer, who made a last minute withdrawal hours before his second round match-up vs. Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina due to a stomach virus, will enter the clay-court season having played just two tournaments, both last January (Brisbane International and the Australian Open).
There were concerns that his surgically-repaired knee might be bothering him up to this point, but the 34-year old veteran downplayed any speculation about his recent injury, stressing he was ready to hit the court until a virus derailed his original comeback plan.
"If I feel something, I won't play. It's very simple," Federer told reporters via BBC, but 24 hours later it was a virus rather than the knee that forced him to withdraw.
Back in the Drawing Board for Swiss Master?
His Miami Masters withdrawal proves to be a mini setback for Federer as he looks to shake off the rusts after roughly two months of absence from the ATP Tour. The Swiss Maestro was hoping the tournament in Miami would serve as a stepping stone for him to gain confidence and momentum ahead of the clay-court season.
Now, Federer has a choice to make whether to add another tournament in his program for the next two months. He's scheduled to compete at the Monte Carlo Masters and plans to take a lengthy rest - skipping the tourney in Madrid, Barcelona and Rome - before plunging back to action at Roland Garros.
Prediction for Clay-Court Season:
For Federer fans out there asking if he's going to add another clay-court tournament in his program before French Open, there's definitely a chance but it all depends on the Swiss' fitness and result at the Monte Carlo Masters.
A solid performance at Monte Carlo, let's say a semifinal or finals, would definitely give me more reason to play another clay-court tournament. The Madrid Masters, in which Federer won three times (two times on clay), could be the wild-card tourney for the Swiss Maestro.