9:00 a.m, Monday Update: Roger Federer decided to withdraw from Madrid Masters on Monday, citing a back injury. Federer, three time champion in Madrid, skipped Sunday's practice for unknown reason and then made a decision to pull out of the tourney.
Federer's withdrawal would be a big blow for Madrid Masters organizers, who were expecting all members of the fabled Big Four to compete in the ATP 1000 event.
Many were looking forward to watching match no.35 of the epic rivalry between Federer and Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal round had not the Swiss withdrawn. Unfortunately, all of that vanished in an instant. Below is what would have been Federer's path to the finals.
Madrid Masters Preview:
Roger Federer, competing in just his second tournament after knee surgery, will be tested along the way with his path to the finals riddled with quality opponents from the second round up to the finals, where Novak Djokovic is the favorite to emerge in the other half of the draw.
The draw hasn't been kind to Federer this time around as he was placed within the same half as world's no.2 Andy Murray and the streaking Rafael Nadal. Nevertheless, the Swiss Master has come prepared for a war in Madrid, which is always a pivotal tourney leading up to the French Open championship.
Federer, three time Madrid Masters champion, is guaranteed to face a tough opponent from the get-go, having been scheduled to play the winner of the first round match between seasoned campaigner Nicolas Mahut and João Sousa.
Dominic Thiem in the 3nd Round:
Tennis rising star Dominic Thiem of Austria emerges as a potential foe in the third round. Federer won his first and only match with Thiem in the semifinal of Brisbane International Open, but the young netter showed immense potential in that match.
Thiem has grown a lot ever since their last confrontation, scoring big wins against Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov. That would make him a very intriguing third round for Federer, who is still finding his groove after a two month layoff.
Rafael Nadal in the Quarterfinal:
Good news for tennis fans craving for a legendary encounter. This year's Madrid Masters could feature match no. 35 for future Hall of Famers Federer and Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal round. Federer is trailing 11-23 head-to-head with Nadal but won their last match in the finals of Basel Open.
Facing Nadal on clay has always been a tough test for Federer throughout the years. Still, Federer is optimistic that he can turn back the clock and beat a red-hot Nadal, who recently bagged the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open championship.
Andy Murray in the Semifinal:
Barring a big upset, Murray could be slated to face Federer in the semi-final round. Murray is the defending champion in this tourney, and there's definitely a reason why he's one of the favorites out there. The Briton had never been known as a clay-court expert in the past, but gained positive results on the same surface last year by winning the Madrid Masters and reaching the semis of French Open.
Novak Djokovic in the final:
Djokovic is the top choice to win the Madrid Masters for two reasons. First, setting aside his shocking second round exit at Monte Carlo, the Serb is playing superb tennis this year, winning the Australian Open and back-to-back Masters titles in Indian Wells and Miami. Second, his path to the finals is much lighter simply because all three of his Big Four rivals have been drawn into the bottom half of the bracket.
Federer trails his head-to-head showdown with Djokovic by one match 22-23. The last time the two met was in the semifinal of the Australian Open championship, in which the Serb took a 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory. Djokovic also won their last match on clay at last year's Italian Open - another reason why Federer is a bit of an underdog in this match.