Roger Federer has opted in to play the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, adding another elite name to the field. Even though he is 36 years old, Federer is pushing for a return to the No. 1 world ranking.
Rafael Nadal currently sits atop the rankings but he isn’t playing in this tournament and isn’t expected to return to the court until later this month. That could open the door for Federer to overtake him with a strong showing.
Federer is a strong player but he will need to navigate a field which also includes Stanislas Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. These will be the players expected to contend for the title, with Federer having significant motivation to make a strong push for the hardware.
ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament Odds
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Top Contenders
Federer won this tournament in 2005 and then captured it again in 2012. He isn’t quite the same player as he was back in his physical prime but is still among the best in the world. He enters as the top seed and will be the player to beat. However, Tsonga is a worthy defending champion and won’t go down easily.
Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev, Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych and David Goffin are among the other players who have had success either here or elsewhere in the past and could also be in the mix.
Seeds
- Roger Federer
- Grigor Dimitrov
- Alexander Zverev
- David Goffin
- Stan Wawrinka
- Tomas Berdych
- Lucas Pouille
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Matchups to Watch
Tsonga knocked off Goffin in the championship match a year ago but they could meet earlier than that in this one. Tsonga lost the first set before rallying, and Goffin is the higher seed, so that would be an intriguing showdown if it happens.
The winner could then be looking at a showdown against Federer in the semifinals. Wawrinka lost to Goffin last year but has plenty of talent to make a deep run. If he is on the bracket opposite Federer, he could have a path to the finals.
Tomas Berdych is a former champion of this event, capturing it in 2014, and he could give some of the top seeds trouble if he runs into them in the later rounds. This tournament has traditionally been dominated by the seeded players but that isn’t to say a young riser can’t turn some heads.
However, with many of the world’s better players in the field, it’s unlikely that a non-seeded participant actually wins the whole thing.
Event Notes
The tournament will be held from February 12 through 18, 2018, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on a hard, indoor surface. Nick Kyrgios was in the original draw but pulled out and has been replaced by Viktor Troicki.
Federer has played in this tournament eight times, accumulating the two championships. He hasn’t been the world No. 1 since 2012 but has a chance to overtake Nadal with a run to the semifinals. That will be the main storyline of the tournament, but it’s no given that he gets there.
Tennis Picks
Look for Federer to get tested but eventually make it to the finals. While it will be enough to move him to No. 1 in the world, he is not the choice to win this tournament. That nod will go to Dimitrov, who seems to have an easier path to the championship set.
Dimitrov is just 26 years old and should have an advantage in stamina against the older Federer. While this tournament has plenty of players who could make a run and eventually hoist the trophy, the choice here is Dimitrov, one of the best tennis players in the world.
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