Roger Federer says Andy Murray remains a leading contender for Wimbledon glory
"If he's anything close to 100 per cent physically, I consider him one of the big favourites to win the tournament"
Sunday 2 July 2017 17:45, UK
Seven-time winner Roger Federer thinks a fit Andy Murray would have to be considered among the favourites for the Wimbledon title.
Australian Open champion Federer appears to have had a smooth preparation ahead of his bid for another Wimbledon crown, the 35-year-old tennis legend having won the Gerry Weber Open last week after sitting out the clay court season.
But world No 1 Murray, who will be defending his Wimbledon crown, suffered an early exit at Queen's and has been suffering from a worrisome hip problem.
However, Federer expects Murray to be a factor over the next fortnight, and also sees his other great rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as likely contenders.
Murray limped through practice at the All England Club on Friday and Saturday, but Federer said: "If he's anything close to 100 per cent physically, I consider him one of the big favourites to win the tournament.
"It's that simple.
"It's the same for Novak and the same for Rafa. I think it's very even when we put it all out on the line. Everybody has their own little story right now."
Federer says he does not regret skipping Roland Garros, as he feels that competing there may have had a detrimental impact on his Wimbledon chances.
"That was the decision for me - no compromise really," he said.
"Gave myself the best chance for the grass, so I would never look back and have regrets once I came here.
"I got on the clay a couple of weeks before the French Open and, even though I was happy on the clay for a couple of days, I just felt like anything other than winning there feels like I'm not giving myself the best chance for Wimbledon.
"I'm 35 years old. I've won the French Open once. This is clearly not an ideal preparation. We all felt the same way, that it's better to save myself and give it all I have for the rest of the season.
"I kind of never regretted it, even though it hurt, because it was the first time I pulled out of a slam actually feeling 100 per cent ready to go."
As for French Open winner Nadal, he pulled out of his scheduled warm-up event at Queen's, choosing instead to practise on grass at home in Majorca.
The Spanish great is cautiously optimistic about his prospects, as long as he can survive the early rounds.
"I would love to be playing in Queen's, obviously," he said. "But after the last three months and after what happened in Roland Garros, we decided that for my body it's better to have a slower change to the grass.
"I am excited to be playing again here, in a tournament that I really love and really enjoy playing.
"But, at the same time I tell you, it's a tournament that you can go out very early. If I am able to go through at the beginning, I think I am with confidence.
"I am playing well since the beginning of the season."
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