Federer confirms Halle entry
2008-05-06 15:19
Berlin - Roger Federer will seek his fifth title at the Wimbledon warm-up event in Halle, Germany next month after missing the 2007 tournament, organisers said on Tuesday.
The world number one won four consecutive Halle titles from 2003 through 2006, but pulled out last year due to fatigue after losing the French Open final to Rafael Nadal.
"I'm really looking forward to returning to Halle," organisers quoted the Swiss as saying. "Playing (Halle) has always helped me a lot in winning Wimbledon."
Federer's main rivals will include defending champion Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, American James Blake, Russia's Mikhail Youzhny and former Australian Open finalist and 2007 Halle runner-up Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, runner-up at this year's Australian Open, is also in the draw.
Organisers said there will less danger this year of players slipping on the grass court in Halle's 12 000-seater Gerry Weber Stadium as a new air conditioning system had been installed.
Two air circulation kits in the stadium, which has a retractable roof, will emit between 20 000 and 40 000 cubic metres of fresh air and two 600-watt cooling devices will help dry out the atmosphere.